Don't believe everything you read about Mount Fuji

MYTH #1
Mt Fuji's eruption caused a tsunami during its violent 1707 eruption, claiming 30,000 lives.

FACT
An enormous earthquake occurred prior to the eruption of Mount Fuji, causing a tsunami and claiming 30,000 lives.

MYTH #2
You can run up Mount Fuji in just a few hours.

FACT
In many photos I've seen, Mount Fuji looks similar in size to small mountains I've hiked up during morning charity events. This is very different. Once you're packed with food, drinking water, a change of clothes and weighed down with equipment and experiencing high altitude lacking in oxygen, you're in for a 6 hour climb to the summit at the very least.

MYTH #3
Hiking prior to the climbing season is fine

FACT
The hiking season is between July 1st and August 27. Put it this way, a climber was blown 1000m to his death on New Years Day attempting to be the first climber of the year. Mt Fuji's weather is highly unpredictable and climbing outside of the season takes lives every year.

MYTH #4
The road to the fifth station is always open.

FACT
The road is only open during business hours. After hours, the road is closed with a large gate.

MYTH #5
That's not Mount Fuji in The Last Samurai it's New Zealand's Mount Taranaki .

FACT
That's definitely a composite of Mount Fuji; Although to the untrained eye, Mount Taranaki could be mistaken for Fuji, as could Chile's Volcano Osorno

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