Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan Jun 23, 2026

Mount Fuji, Japan"s highest mountain, rises to 3,776 metres on Honshu Island, about 97 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. Its near-perfect cone is a volcano—dormant since its last eruption in December 1707 yet still classed as active. That last major event is known as the Hōei eruption. It blasted ash and other tephra across eastern Japan, reaching Edo (today"s Tokyo). Beyond geology, Fuji has long been treated as a sacred landscape and a destination for pilgrimage climbs, reflecting how nature, religion and daily life overlap in Japan. That enduring cultural appeal is one reason it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 as "a sacred place and source of artistic inspiration." Fuji is famously visible from far away on clear days but never guaranteed—clouds can hide it in minutes. Whether you hike it or just catch a glimpse from a train window, it still feels like Japan"s signature on the horizon.

© phutthiseth thongtae/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Butterfly, fly away
The ‘Old Bridge,’ reborn
Jun. 23, 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
Jun. 23, 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug. 27, 2025World Lake Day
Dec. 2, 2025Whistler, British Columbia
May 4, 2025Star Wars Day
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
Aug. 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
40 years of recovery
Jun. 10, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
Lets protect our turtles
Jan. 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Jul. 3, 2025Rainbow River, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida, United States
Zebras enjoying their day
Small but mighty
Apr. 24, 2026Arbor Day
Dec. 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Sep. 27, 2025Red maple
Nov. 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex, England
Sep. 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, United States
Aug. 8, 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
Aug. 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
A modern recreation
Standing on glass 275+ metres in the air
Nov. 20, 2024World Childrens Day
Why is this cliffside ablaze?
Dec. 1, 2024Antarctica Day
Oct. 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Oct. 20, 2024International Sloth Day
Oct. 15, 2025National Mushroom Day
Sep. 25, 2024Sequoia National Park, California, USA
Apr. 28, 2026Spectacled bear resting in tree, Ecuador
Jan. 15, 2025Lake Superior, Thunder Bay, Ontario