TRAVEL

Mount Fuji has become far more visible from Tokyo than a half century ago, possibly because the atmosphere of the Japanese capital has become cleaner and drier, according to a long-term survey by a school climate observatory in Tokyo. (Jiji Press)

What do you think of when you think of Japan? Sushi? Bullet trains? Mount Fuji? Blade Runner-esque streetscapes? Zen temples? Sumo wrestlers? All of these? But do you think of one of the best places in the world to ride a bike? (podiumcafe.com)

A total of some 750,000 residents in 14 municipalities in the central Japan prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka would need to evacuate in the event of an eruption of Mount Fuji, which straddles the two prefectures, an estimate showed Friday. (Jiji Press)

Japan is in a cold burn now; cool on the exterior, simmering underneath. It's obvious in a geological sense; Japan sits above an unstable hot zone, but it's also a metaphor for a seemingly stable but deeply volatile and incendiary political system. (South China Morning Post)

The governors of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures have warned they might start charging an admission fee to visit Mount Fuji in a bid to finance environmental efforts on the iconic mountain. (Japan Times)

Lights began to shine on Tokyo's celebrated home of traditional kabuki theater on Thursday, as the renovated venue prepares to raise the curtains on a new era. (saudigazette.com.sa)

An eruption of Mount Fuji could force some 567,000 people to evacuate their homes, according to a new estimate. (Japan Times)

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu is considering the introduction of an "entrance fee" for climbers scaling Mount Fuji and may even limit their numbers as part of efforts to preserve its environment and landscape. (Japan Times)

Among Japan's many physical features, none comes even close to matching the manner in which its loftiest peak has carved out the fondest niche in the national psyche. The Mount Fuji name and image are evident practically everywhere in Japan today - as they have been one way or another over the centuries. (Japan Times)

Japanese police have raided offices belonging to a highway operator over a weekend tunnel collapse that killed nine people. (The Australian)

A man who fled with his wife and children from a collapsed Japanese tunnel in which at least five people died spoke Sunday of how he had been unable to get anyone out of a crushed and burning vehicle. (The West)

Rescuers have found three more bodies in a collapsed tunnel on a major Japanese highway, taking the death toll to nine. (ninemsn)

Restorations of once-worthless homes across Japan are delivering investment returns as high as 80 percent and luring developers and entrepreneurs eager to turn a profit on resale or rental. The homes also are providing a source of tourism revenue to Japan's shrinking villages as they seek new ways to draw visitors and create jobs. (BusinessWeek)

When Toshitsugu Fujii became head of a Japanese task force on disaster response at Mount Fuji, he was confronted with a startling oversight. Japan had no plan in place to deal with a disaster in which an earthquake sparks a volcanic eruption at the country's most famous landmark. (Reuters)

Mount Fuji has received its first snow of the season, which is 18 days earlier than average and 12 days earlier than last year, acccording to the Japan Meteorological Agency. (tbsnews)

Fine weather helped iconic Mount Fuji attract 246,616 climbers in July and August, up about 20,000 from last year, an official from the city that hosts the main starting point in Yamanashi Prefecture said. (Japan Times)

A 20-meter-long crack was found halfway up Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit on March 15, 2011, centered around eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, local authorities revealed Tuesday. (Japan Times)

For tattoo artist Horiyoshi III, the skin into which he sinks his ink-infused needle is a canvas for the myths and legends of Japan -- where body art is indelibly linked to the criminal underworld. The mountains and waves of 18th century art, or fabulous mythical creatures are a far cry from the stylised designs so common in the West that might usually draw disapproval from parents and teachers. (AFP)

The father of a Michigan man who disappeared while hiking on Japan's Mount Fuji says his son's body has been found. Jerry Johnson told The Associated Press on Friday that a mountain guide hired by his family found 33-year-old Matthew Johnson's body on Thursday. (wwmt.com)

From a park near Albuquerque, to the top of Japan's Mount Fuji, to the California coast the effect was dramatic: The moon nearly blotting out the sun creating a blazing "ring of fire" eclipse. (cbsnews.com)

Special darkened glasses were selling out in Japan on Friday as anticipation built ahead of a "ring" solar eclipse above one of the most densely populated parts of the planet. (AFP)

Japan's Mount Fuji may be sitting on a large, active fault that could trigger a magnitude-7 earthquake, changing the shape of the mountain and devastating nearby communities, the education ministry said on Thursday. (arabnews.com)

Suicides nationwide topped 30,000 last year for the 14th consecutive year, but by prefecture Yamanashi has had the worst rate for the past five years, according to statistics by the National Police Agency. Yamanashi had 36.1 suicides per 100,000 people in 2011, compared with 23.7 for Tokyo and 21.7 for Osaka, the agency figures show. (Japan Times)

As Japan struggles to get its groove back, the capital beckons as a bright bargain. Lee Hannon visits. The bright neon lights of Tokyo may dim this year, but the flicker of hope that Japan will remain a top tourist destination still glimmers. (China Daily)

Panasonic will broadcast live a solar eclipse next month over Japan from the top of Mount Fuji, using batteries that are charged at the base using solar power and then carried up to the peak. The company will use the event to create publicity for its solar panels and rechargeable portable power units. (PC World)