MOUNT FUJI, JAPAN

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains". An active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū. Three small cities surround it: Gotemba (south), Fujiyoshida (north) and Fujinomiya (southwest). Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.



Mt. Fuji stands at 3,776 m (12,388 ft) high and is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji. They, and nearby Lake Ashi, provide excellent views of the mountain. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
The climate is very cold due to the altitude and the cone is covered by snow for several months of the year. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.0 °C while on June 2008 the highest temperature was recorded at 17.8 °C. It can be seen from Yokohama, Tokyo, and sometimes as far as Chiba, Saitama, and Lake Hamana when the sky is clear.
Scientists have identified four distinct phases of volcanic activity in the formation of Mt. Fuji. The first phase, called Sen-komitake, is composed of an andesite core recently discovered deep within the mountain. Sen-komitake was followed by the "Komitake Fuji," a basalt layer believed to be formed several hundred thousand years ago. Approximately 100,000 years ago, "Old Fuji" was formed over the top of Komitake Fuji. The modern, "New Fuji" is believed to have formed over the top of Old Fuji around 10,000 years ago.
The volcano is currently classified as active with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption started on December 16, 1707 (Hōei 4, 23rd day of the 11th month) and ended about January 1, 1708 (Hōei 4, 9th day of the 12th month) during the Edo period. This is sometimes called "the great Hōei eruption." Fuji spewed cinders and ash which fell like rain in Izu, Kai, Sagami, and Musashi. Since then, there have been no signs of an eruption.
At this time, a new crater, along with a second peak, named Hōei-zan after the era name, formed halfway down its side.
Mount Fuji is located at the point where the Eurasian Plate (or the Amurian Plate), the Okhotsk Plate, and the Philippine Plate meet. Those plates form the western part of Japan, the eastern part of Japan, and the Izu Peninsula respectively
It is thought that the first ascent was in 663 by an anonymous monk. The summit has been thought of as sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women until the Meiji Era.
The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860, from the foot of the mountain to the top in eight hours and three hours for the descent. Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West. Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji in 1867 and photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji in that same year.
Today, Mount Fuji is an international tourist destination and common destination for mountain-climbing. In the early 20th century, populist educator Frederick Starr's Chautauqua lectures about his several ascents of Mount Fuji—1913, 1919, and 1923—were widely known in America. A well-known Japanese saying suggests that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once—but a fool to do so twice.



Mount Fuji is an attractive volcanic cone and a frequent subject of Japanese art. Amongst the most renowned works are Hokusai's 36 Views of Mount Fuji and his One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji. The mountain is mentioned in Japanese literature throughout the ages and the subject of many poems. The mountain is also the basis of the Infiniti logo.
Mt. Fuji also houses a warrior tradition: ancient samurai used the base of the mountain as a remote training area, near the present day town of Gotemba. The shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo held yabusame in the area in the early Kamakura period. As of 2006, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the United States Marine Corps operate military bases near Mount Fuji.

How Do You Feel About Toronto?

Let me guess – you like travelling, you enjoy visiting new countries and cities, make new and meet old friends. And of course, you are the hockey fan or maybe even a player? Let’s mix it! Be a hockey tourist; visit some famous hockey places with me! Today I’ll take you to Toronto, Canada – the home of the Maple Leafs



Toronto is a great city to live and work in, or just to visit. We have a high quality of life and reliable services, in one of the safest urban environments in the world. We have a lot more going for us, too. Just check out the facts!



Toronto's population is one of the most diverse in the world. Nearly all of the world's culture groups are represented in Toronto and more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken.
You may already know that Toronto is home to the world's tallest building (CN Tower at 553.33 m) and that the world's longest street starts at the City's lakeshore (Yonge Street at 1,896 km), but did you know that Toronto is as far south as the French Riviera or that more people live in Toronto than in Canada's four Atlantic provinces combined?

Here you will find interesting and sometimes startling facts about Toronto, Canada's economic engine, with its 6th largest government and one of the world's most diverse and multicultural populations.
Toronto's 10 historic museums work collectively to inspire passion for our city. Our museum professionals have researched the history of Toronto and present this knowledge in ways that engage residents, visitors and community groups alike.

Toronto Culture is continuing to investigate the best way to build a museum that tells Toronto's story.



Humans began to occupy the Toronto region shortly after the last ice age. Many thousands of years later, in the 17th century, these indigenous peoples opened trade with the French, who subsequently established trading posts in Toronto in the 18th century. Toronto passed to British control in 1763, and the creation of an urban community began 30 years later when colonial officials built Fort York and laid out a town site. That community, 'York,' became the capital of the province of Upper Canada (now Ontario). It also grew as an important commercial centre, and, in 1834, with 9,250 residents, it was incorporated as the 'City of Toronto.' The population continued to expand: when Canada became a country in 1867, the city was home to 50,000 souls. By 1901, 208,000 people lived here. Today, with well over two million people, Toronto is Canada's largest city, the heart of the nation's commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural life, and is one of the world's most liveable urban centres.



In 1998 Maple Leaf Gardens Limited buys the Toronto Raptors and the Air Canada Centre (aka "The Hanger"or "ACC") after making some changes to the intial plans to make it a fitting home for the Maple Leaf Hockey Club.
On Febuary 13 1999 the Toronto Maple Leafs played their final game at Maple Leaf Gardens,(losing to the Chicago Black Hawks, who also beat the Leafs in the very first game ever.
Played there) ending its tenur as home to the club for more than 67 years the building however for the moment still is in function as home to the OHL junior A team St Michaels Majors and the National Lacrosse Leagues Toronto Rock who won the Championship in 1999 ,their first season in the league since being bought by a group including several members of the current Leaf organization played the first game at The Hanger on Feb 20 1999 defeating the Canadiens in overtime.