fuji

fuji — noun

1. Japan's highest and most recognisable volcano, located on Honshu Island, with a

1.nounB1
Definition

Japan's highest and most recognisable volcano, located on Honshu Island, with a near-perfect symmetrical cone shape that has made it a national symbol and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Example

Leo and his family climbed Mount Fuji during their summer trip to Japan last year.

collocation: climb Mount Fuji

The view of Fuji from the Shinkansen on a clear winter morning is unforgettable.

bare 'Fuji' in prepositional phrase: view of Fuji

Common collocations
  • climb Mount Fuji
  • view of Fuji
  • Fuji's summit
  • foot of Mount Fuji
  • slopes of Fuji
  • Fuji's peak
  • sunrise from Fuji
  • hike up Fuji
Synonyms
  • Mount Fuji

    the standard English name; 'Fuji' is a clipped form

  • Fuji-san

    the Japanese name; appropriate when referencing Japanese cultural context

  • Fujiyama

    an outdated Western name (from misreading of 富士山); rarely used today and may sound archaic

Grammar Patterns

Mount Fuji

Fuji-san (Japanese naming)

bare 'Fuji' in compounds

Usage Note

In English, the mountain is almost always referred to as 'Mount Fuji' in full, formal contexts. Using bare 'Fuji' alone (without 'Mount') is common in compound phrases such as 'view of Fuji', 'the slopes of Fuji', or 'Fuji's summit', but sounds unnatural as a standalone subject ('*Fuji is tall' → 'Mount Fuji is tall'). In Japanese, the name 'Fuji-san' (with honorific suffix) is the standard form.

Common Mistakes

I want to climb Fuji next year.
I want to climb Mount Fuji next year.
bare 'Fuji' as a standalone subject or object sounds unnatural in English; include 'Mount'.
Fuji-san is the highest mountain in Japan.
Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
'Fuji-san' is the Japanese name; in an English sentence, use 'Mount Fuji'.

Word family

  • Fuji-san
    nounB2
  • Fujiyama
    nounC1
  • Fujin
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three names all refer to Japan's highest mountain, but they differ in register and cultural context. 'Mount Fuji' is the standard English name — the form used in travel guides, textbooks, and most English-language media. 'Fuji-san' adds the Japanese honorific suffix and is the everyday name within Japan; English speakers familiar with Japanese culture often use it, but in a purely English sentence it can feel marked. 'Fujiyama' is an older Western rendering that arose from a misreading of the kanji 富士山 (where '山' can be read as 'yama'); it now sounds dated or exotically romantic. For general English use, stick with 'Mount Fuji'. For a Japanese-language context, use 'Fuji-san'. Avoid 'Fujiyama' unless you are quoting a historical source or a song.

Mount FujiFuji-sanFujiyama

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Fuji summit
  • Fuji hiker
  • Fuji climb
  • Fuji trail

Phrases

  • climb Mount Fuji
  • sunrise from Fuji
  • summit of Fuji
  • foot of the mountain

Prepositions

  • at the foot of Fuji
  • on Fuji's slopes
  • from Fuji's summit
  • a view of Fuji
  • to climb up Fuji

Etymology

AinuJapaneseEnglish

The name 'Fuji' is believed to come from the Ainu language, in which 'fuchi' or 'huchi' means 'fire (deity)' — a fitting origin for a volcano. The Chinese characters 富士 (fù shì) were later assigned as ateji (phonetic characters chosen for sound rather than meaning), where 富 means 'wealth' and 士 means 'samurai'. The suffix 山 ('san' in Japanese, 'shan' in Chinese) means 'mountain'. The English form 'Mount Fuji' emerged during early Western contact with Japan in the 16th–17th centuries.