No, Mount Fuji is not a supervolcano; it's a stratovolcano, and while active and significant, its past eruptions haven't reached the extreme scale (Volcanic Explosivity Index 8+) that defines a supervolcano, which ejects at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of debris. Fuji's largest eruptions have been around VEI-5, far smaller than a super-eruption.
Answer and Explanation: No, Mount Fuji is not a supervolcano, which is simply a volcano that has erupted with an explosivity index of at least 8.
While Mount Fuji used to erupt about every 30 years, it has now been dormant for 318 years, but some experts think that it could blow at any moment.
Mount Fuji (Fujiyama), on the island on Honshu, Japan, is a classic stratovolcano. This volcano reaches 3776 meters above sea level and is noted for its steeply sloping (35° near the summit) and symmetric profile. It is often called one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
Aira caldera is located on Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. The supervolcano peaks at 1117 m. The colossal eruption forming the Aira Caldera occurred approximately 30,000 years ago. It resulted in tephra and ignimbrite from a vast amount of magma affecting the nearby land.
If Mount Fuji were to erupt—meaning fire, smoke, and rocks come out of the mountain—a large amount of volcanic ash* might fall on Tokyo as well.
Location: Sakurajima (Aira Caldera), Kagoshima City, and surrounding prefectures including Kumamoto and Miyazaki, Japan. Event: The Sakurajima volcano has shown a significant increase in explosive activity since November 16, 2025, with a large eruption sending an ash plume up to 4,400 meters (approx. 14,400 feet).
The Hōei eruption of Mount Fuji started on December 16, 1707 (during the Hōei era, 23rd day of the 11th month of the 4th year) and ended on February 24, 1708. It was the last confirmed eruption of Mount Fuji, with three unconfirmed eruptions reported from 1708 to 1854.
Mount Fuji is owned by a historic shrine
The part of Mount Fuji extending from the 8th Station to the summit is owned by Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, a shinto shrine in Fujinomiya City in Shizuoka Prefecture. It serves as the head shrine among 1,300 sengen shrines nationwide.
Eruptive products and the forces that produce them shape the landscape, sometimes removing land and sometimes adding to it. For example in 1973, in Iceland, the volcano of Eldfell on the island of Heimaey erupted.
Although routes that pass directly over Mt. Fuji (Y28) unfortunately do not afford a view of the mountain, there are three routes to the north (Y884, Y18, Y20) and two routes to the south (Y56, Y58) of Mt. Fuji that do afford views. All routes flying from the west to Haneda Airport fly around the south side of Mt.
The volcanic activity coming from Axial Seamount in 2025 had scientists predicting an impending eruption.
On 9 December 2019, the volcano on Whakaari-White Island near Whakatāne in the Bay of Plenty erupted, resulting in the deaths of 22 people and injury to 25 others, most of them critical. The bodies of two victims were not recovered.
Of the 47 known eruptions on Earth thought to have a VEI of 8 or above, Yellowstone is among them. Yellowstone is classified as a supervolcano, capable of producing an eruption that ejects mass more than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic miles).
Mt. Fuji was long revered as a sacred mountain not only for its exceptional beauty but also for its violent eruptions. In antiquity, the Japanese worshipped Mt. Fuji from afar, erecting the Asama Shrine at its foothills to pray for an easing of the eruptions.
Mount Fuji could, theoretically, erupt at any moment. And the Japanese government is preparing people for that possibility with an AI-generated disaster simulation video. The Tokyo Metropolitan government doesn't necessarily think Japan's tallest peak is going to erupt anytime soon. But it could.
Yes. You can get married at Mt Fuji.
Whether it's lakeside at one of the stunning Fuji Five Lakes or whether it's actually on Fuji-san herself having a ceremony above the clouds, it's an iconic and breathtaking wedding experience.
Mt. Fuji is one of the few large composite volcanoes made of basalt in the world. Its current beautiful cone shape was caused by eruptions during three periods: Komitake, Kofuji, and Shinfuji. An explosive Edo Period eruption 1707 created Hoei Crater and formed the huge volcanic ash field on the east side.
Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708. It is located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Tokyo, from which it is visible on clear days. It has an exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is covered in snow for about five months of the year.
If the fault sets off an earthquake, researchers say the slopes would most likely collapse, causing massive landslides and mudflows. An earthquake in 1707 caused Mount Fuji to erupt and killed an estimated 20,000 people.
37 living species are recorded, including the rare Japanese serow. Asiatic black bears are also seen on occasion. Japanese squirrels and foxes can be viewed from the mountain base to Shin-gogoume.
Mt Fuji has a structure made up of multiple accumulations of volcanic lapilli and is prone to collapse. Thus, there is the risk of rockfalls on slopes and slip drops at craters and valleys. In the past, large rocks have fallen and fatal accidents have occurred.
Volcano field on Kruzof Island with Mt. Edgecumbe, Crater Ridge, and several smaller cones. After about 800 years of "dormancy" at Mount Edgecumbe, researchers observed hundreds of small earthquakes in April 2022.
Ask medieval historian Michael McCormick which year was the worst to be alive, and he's got an answer: "536." In that year, a mysterious fog plunged Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness, day and night—for 18 months.
Over 80% of Japan's landmass is covered by mountains and hills, making it a very rugged, island nation where most people live in narrow coastal plains and valleys, with forests covering a large percentage of these mountainous areas as well.