Google announced today that it has taken its Street View Trekker camera device (you know, the backpack) up Mt. Fuji to gather some new imagery. The 360-degree panoramic shots cover the Yoshida trail that takes hikers up the mountain, as well as the full walk around the crater at the top and the “quick zigzag” descent.
“Back in June UNESCO granted Japan’s tallest mountain Mt. Fuji official status as a World Heritage Site — not just for its natural splendor or spiritual significance but also for its enduring influence on Japanese culture,” writes Setsuo Murai, Head of Geo Partnerships, Google Japan in a blog post. “The currently dormant volcano has inspired countless haiku and woodblock prints over many centuries, and around the world, its perfect conical shape has become one of Japan’s most iconic symbols.”
“We hope these 14,000 panos of new imagery will give climbers a sense of the terrain to expect under their feet — especially all the night-time climbers who shuffle up in the dark to see the sunrise at the crack of dawn,” says Murai.
Google also has Street View imagery for some other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan like Himeji Castle, the old village at Shirakawa-go, the floating Itsukushima shrine, the forests of Yakushima, the Ogasawara Islands and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.