Mount Azuma-kofuji

LocationFukushima, Tōhoku region, JapanParent rangeAzuma Mountain RangeGeologyMountain typeStratovolcanoLast eruptionDecember 1977

Mount Azuma-kofuji (吾妻小富士) is an active stratovolcano in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.

It has a conical-shaped crater and as the name "Kofuji" (small Mount Fuji) suggests, the shape of Mount Azuma is like that of Mount Fuji.^[1] Mount Azuma's appealing symmetrical crater and the nearby fumarolic area with its many onsen have made it a popular tourist destination.

The Bandai-Azuma Skyline passes just below the crater, allowing visitors to drive to within walking distance of the crater and other various hiking trails on the mountain. There is also a visitor center along the roadway near the crater, where a collection of eateries, facilities, a parking lot, and a stop for buses from Fukushima Station are located.

The Azuma volcanic group contains several volcanic lakes, including Goshiki-numa, the 'Five Colored Lakes'.

Each Spring, as the snow melts away, a white rabbit appears on the side of Mount Azuma. The melting snow shaped like a rabbit is known as the 'seeding rabbit' and signals to the people of Fukushima that the farming season has come.^[2]

See also

• List of the 100 famous mountains in Japan

Notes

References

• Takeda, Toru; Hishinuma, Tomio; Kamieda, Kinuyo; Dale, Leigh; Oguma, Chiyoichi (August 10, 1988), Hello! Fukushima - International Exchange Guide Book (1988 ed.), Fukushima City: Fukushima Mimpo Press
• Takeda, Toru; Hishinuma, Tomio; Oguma, Chiyoichi; Takiguchi, R. (July 7, 2001), Fukushima - Today & Tomorrow, Rekishi Shunju Publishing Co., ISBN 4-89757-432-3
• "Azumayama". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.

External links

• Media related to Mount Azuma-kofuji at Wikimedia Commons
• Azumayama - Japan Meteorological Agency (in Japanese)
• "Azumayama: National catalogue of the active volcanoes in Japan" (PDF). - Japan Meteorological Agency
• Azuma Yama - Geological Survey of Japan
• Azumayama: Global Volcanism Program - Smithsonian Institution