Mount Azuma | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,705 m (5,594 ft) |
Listing | Volcanoes of Japan |
Coordinates | 37°43′20″N 140°15′49″E / 37.722222°N 140.263611°E |
Naming | |
Native name | 吾妻山 (Japanese) |
Geography | |
Location | Fukushima, Tōhoku region, Japan |
Parent range | Azuma Mountain Range |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Last eruption | December 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]