Mt. Fuji's Stone at Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Fuji and Mount Rainier are sister mountains. Visitors from Japan to Mount Rainier have noted a strong resemblance between the two volcanoes. The mountains are both Pacific Rim stratovolcanoes of the Konide type and share a similar status as icons of regional and national identity.
Mount Rainier's history with Mount Fuji dates back to 1935 when former Park Superintendent Owen Tomlinson presented a rock from the summit of Mount Rainier to Issaku Okamoto, Consul of Japan to Seattle. Japan reciprocated the exchange in 1936, beginning an eighty year relationship between Mount Rainier and Mount Fuji.

Japanese Visitors to Mount Rainier National Park
Photo: Fujisan Club

In 1993, the Japanese Volunteer in Parks Association was founded and began sending volunteer teams of 20-30 students to Mount Rainier each summer. The Mount Rainier - Mount Fuji sister mountain relationship was formalized in 2003 with the establishment of an exchange program with the Fujisan Club, a non-profit organization working on Mount Fuji.
Our project is based on this sister mountain relationship, and will take it to a new level.