Awoke this morning to the splendor of Mt. Fuji! The reverence held for this behemoth by the Japanese people is easily understood as its beauty and majesty leaves you breathless! Still considered an active volcano by geologists who recorded the last eruption in 1768, the volcano has erupted about once every 300 years for the last 2 millennia and is presently 30 years overdue for eruptive activity. Its peak at 12,388 feet above sea level beckons to the over 400,000 people from all parts of the world that are compelled to climb the mountain each year.
Camp Fuji was established in 1953 for the United States Marine Corps use and is presently a field training sight for regimental and smaller sized units. It is comprised of 34,000 acres of training area with a 300 acre base camp. It is part of the Marine Corps base camp Smedley D. Butler complex located on the island of Honshu in central Japan at 2250 feet above sea level. The First Shogun trained 30,000 Samurai here in 1193 initiating a storied history that is steeped in respect and tradition.
