Mount Azuma
Encyclopedia
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. 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 busses 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.
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
in Fukushima prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan.
It has a conical-shaped crater
Volcanic cone
Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic formations. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and size of the fragments ejected during the eruption...
and as the name "Kofuji" (small Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
) suggests, the shape of Mount Azuma is like that of Mount Fuji. Mount Azuma's appealing symmetrical crater and the nearby fumarolic
Fumarole
A fumarole is an opening in a planet's crust, often in the neighborhood of volcanoes, which emits steam and gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulfide. The steam is created when superheated water turns to steam as its pressure drops when it emerges from...
area with its many onsen
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
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 busses from Fukushima Station
Fukushima Station (Fukushima)
is a railway station located in the city of Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan.-Lines:*JR East**Tōhoku Shinkansen**Yamagata Shinkansen**Tōhoku Main Line**Ōu Main Line*AbukumaExpress** Abukuma Express Line*Fukushima Transportation** Iizaka Line-Layout:...
are located.
The Azuma volcanic group
Volcanic group
A volcanic group is a collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms. Note that the term is also used in a different sense when it denotes a suite of associated rock strata largely of volcanic origin; see group for details.-Notable volcanic groups:-See also:*Complex...
contains several volcanic lakes
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
, including Goshiki-numa
Goshiki-numa
, is a cluster of five volcanic lakes situated at the foot of Mount Bandai in the center of the lake district of Bandai-kōgen, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan....
, 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.