Mount Azuma-kofuji (吾妻小富士) is an active stratovolcano in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.
| Mount Azuma | |
|---|---|
 Kofuji Crater of Azuma Volcano | |
| 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 | |
  Mount Azuma Location of Mount Azuma in Japan. | |
| Location | Fukushima, Tōhoku region, Japan |
| Parent range | Azuma Mountain Range |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | December 1977 |
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
editNotes
editReferences
edit- 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
edit
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
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