New research finds Mount Fuji may have erupted more often than previously thought

Mount Fuji may have erupted more frequently than previously thought, a joint research team from the University of Tokyo and the Mount Fuji Research Institute announced Friday, which could potentially impact disaster preparedness in eastern and central Japan.

“This is an important discovery, since understanding the frequency of volcano eruption can contribute to disaster prevention,” said Yusuke Yokoyama, a professor at The University of Tokyo and one of the team's researchers.

The team, led by Shinya Yamamoto from the Mount Fuji Research Institute, discovered for the first time that there were six eruptions between 5,050 and 3,900 years ago — a period of time that was previously thought to have seen little volcanic activity at Japan's highest peak.