Mount
Fuji: NATIONAL SYMBOL OR NATIONAL THREAT?
Nothing prepares
you for the scale of this mythic Japanese volcano
My
mother sent me an email recently responding to a photo I sent
her of me grinning with a snow capped Mt Fuji looming in the
background; Have you climbed right up there again?
The words she chose to express interest implied
that I had perhaps scaled the equivalent of a 20 foot tall
tree or worked my way up a fireman's ladder. As a novice hiker
who's proud to admit to having once climbed Mount Fuji I was
amused at the thought of how I too once figured Mount Fuji
for an above average sized hill which could be conquered in
an hour.
WRONG!!!
OK, I know we're not talking about Mount Everest here and
its far from being the world's tallest volcano (which is arguably
Ojoas de Salado at 6887m), but at 3776m from its base to towering
summit it is a truly impressive sight. So stunning is Fuji,
that its easy to forget that its a dormant volcano, a sleeping
giant; Just ask the the The Cabinet Office of Japan who only
recently assembled a committee to draft evacuation protocol
after an alarming 200 earthquakes beneath the cone were detected
throughout 2001.
THE PRIME REAL ESTATE OF MOUNT FUJI
I
take no joy in envisioning the ash and magma fury unleashed
upon the hub of modern Japan should another major Fuji eruption
happen any time soon. Located approximately 100km /60miles
east of Honshu's Urban Corridor ,with over 16 million
people living in Tokyo and Yokohama nearby. Fuji can be seen
on a clear day from Tokyo tower and the city outskirts, appearing
to kneel just above the horizon with an motive that is unknown.
The last time Fuji had a violent eruption was in 1707 and
fortunately there were no deaths linked to the eruption. Of
course, 300 years on the population and infrastructure has
grown significantly larger and ultimately, so has the potential
danger. On that grim note, let's move on...
A QUESTION OF "WHEN" RATHER THAN "IF"
Should history repeat itself, government officials estimate
the financial cost of a disaster could be as high as two trillion
yen (21 billion dollars). Without getting too Old
Testament or Hollywood here, lets examine a possible
eruption from point blank and the the Tokyo perspective: In
the first moments of an eruption, 7,800 people would have
to evacuate immediately. Lava could potentially reach as far
as the Shinkansen tracks in Shizuoka and melting snow would
flood neighboring rivers. Tephra (volcanic debris) could reach
Ibaraki prefecture. Narita and Haneda Airports would be forced
to closed, delaying the transit of 200,000 passengers and
a whopping 28 million rail users would be affected. Most concerning
however, is the potential loss of 200,000 homes in a predicted
initial earthquake. Furthermore, its estimated that 12.5 million
people would be vulnerable to eye, ear and throat and lung
complaints.
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AGE
OLD FURY ON A HIGH TECH CITY - THE TOKYO PERSPECTIVE
On a side note, recently I rented a film titled Magma
(2006) which drew me in by means of its
elaborate forced perspective graphic of a smoke and lava
spewing Mount Fuji engulfing Tokyo in a fiery lake of...well...magma.
As with most low-budget blockbusters (yes, an oxymoron
we now live with thanks to affordable CG) the actual film
barely resembles the grand scope promised by the DVD cover
art.
Nevertheless, the film was a good laugh, and something
to watch if you enjoy laughing at films that fall short
of their filmmakers vision! |
In
reality, Tokyo could expect a shower of volcanic ash and debris
creating havoc far worse than that of heavy snowfall. Even
a centimeter of snow can cause traffic jams in Tokyo (but
at least snow melts). Other complications include the loss
of electricity and the uncertainty of the effect of ash on
the railway system. No one has ever seen the effects of ash
particles on an electronic megacity like Tokyo, given that
most major eruptions have occurred in remote areas or developing
countries.
A NATIONAL ICON WITH A FACELIFT
If Mount Fuji does blow its top, we are almost guaranteed
that this national icon, the world's most recognizable volcano
will look different. Below is a before and after shot of Mount
St Helens and as you can see, the volcano was rendered unrecogniseable
after its disastrous 1980 eruption.
What if this happened to Mt Fuji? It's difficult to imagine
countless photo
prints of this symbol of purity
being run off depicting a smoldering hole in the ground. And
what of the cultural significance? Will it still be a national
symbol, the embodiment of permanence, good fortune and a popular
pilgrimage destination? Will it still be regarded as the dwelling
of gods and goddesses? The severity of Fuji's future eruptions
will ultimately decide for Japan. In the meantime, a further
understanding of the volcano in this time of slumber will
help residents to cooperate with this natural wonder.
MT FUJI IS YOUNGER THAN YOU MIGHT BELIEVE
At the youthful age of 200,000 years old (for a volcano that
is), Fuji started to taken on its reconiseable form about
; Given that scientists have calculated Mount Fuji at having
a 300 year eruption cycle its possible that an eruption could
happen at any time. Mt Fuji is known for being restless, having
erupted 13 times in the last 1,000 years.
Given that the 1707 eruption was the most violent eruption
in recorded history, one can only hope that Fuji has already
unleashed its full potential and will go out with a whimper
rather than a bang.
Let's
take a moment to unwind from that chaos above and appreciate
the Mount Fuji of Today; a must-see for any visitor to Japan,
and certainly one of the most beautiful mountains on the planet.
If you want to enjoy the serenity of Mount Fuji without the
grueling hike, the erratic weather or simply can't get to
Japan, English Tree can make the following recommendations:
Recommendations:
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View Mount Fuji
from every angle from the comfort of your home. It doesnt
get any easier than this. Climbing
Mount Fuji may not necessarily be for you.
One of the extremely few Mount Fuji DVD's available is
Spiritual Earth - Mount Fuji. Six years in the making,
Spiritual Earth offers many stunning views of Mount Fuji
with a soothing soundtrack.
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One
of the web's most illustrious Mount Fuji pages |
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A dormant volcano rumbles
back to life leaving James Bond and Sarah Connor in peril!
This is definitely one of the better volcano movies available. |
