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Fuji-Hakone-Izu NP, Shizuoka
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Ōsunabashiri’s “sand” is volcanic: a Geological Survey of Japan sample from beside the trail is porous, jet-black basalt, mostly rounded, with some tiny red grains.
This downhill’s deep grit came from the 1707 Hōei eruption. The Japan Meteorological Agency records that ash from the eruption reached Edo on December 16—the very day it began.
The loose volcanic ash can swallow a hiker’s feet to the ankles; Gotemba City says a practiced stride can carry someone more than 3 m. That soft footing helps explain the descent’s famous giant strides.
In the early Shōwa era, 15–20 operators offered iron-sled rides for descending visitors on Ōsunabashiri. A popular horse-drawn version was stopped in 1931 because it was considered dangerous.
Ōsunabashiri is also a racecourse: in Gotemba’s mountain relay, runners on legs 7 and 8 descend about 5 km over its volcanic gravel, after teammates have climbed all the way to Fuji’s summit.
