<p>Diamond Fuji is a phenomenon in which the (typically) setting sun is positioned directly atop Mt Fuji. Some relatively detailed predictions for viewing times at a nearby park are <a href="http://www.vill.yamanakako.yamanashi.jp.e.kh.hp.transer.com/holiday_diamondfuji.php" rel="noreferrer">available here</a>.</p>

<p><img src="https://d1fwj4bqr5098n.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/12/13120736/Diamon-Fuji_1-1024x684.jpg" alt="Diamond Fuji"></p>

<p>I will be traveling to Tokyo in early December, and would like to observe Diamond Fuji to the extent possible (if at all). I can rely somewhat on tourist-friendly websites, but information is sparse and imprecise.</p>

<p>Intuitively, one should be able to compute the time and viewing locations of Diamond Fuji for any day of the year: the summit of Mt Fuji lies on the line connecting the viewer to the sun. What is the best way to work out this sort of calendar/map?</p>

<hr>

<p><em>As a non-expert I suspect <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/1855/how-to-get-the-longitude-latitude-from-solar-zenith-azimuth">this question</a> is relevant but I am not certain.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-17T01:22:45.833Z
This is really a question better asked on [Photography SE](https://photo.stackexchange.com/) but here's a [link to a video by one chap explaining the planning of such a shot](http://photoephemeris.com/it-s-not-about-sunset-planning-diamond-mt-fuji).
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-17T13:13:20.227Z
@StephenG perhaps, but this strikes me more as a question about the relative position of celestial bodies, with the constraint of ensuring a particular point lies on the path of observation. For what it's worth, I don't particularly want a picture, I just want to see it.
kyle
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-17T15:42:28.380Z
This sort of thing crops up all the time for serious landscape shooters, and there are applications and apps for this to do the hard work for times and dates and locations.  And if you're there to see it, why not have a go at photographing it - can't hurt and you might get an really impressive shot (does require a little technique, mind you).
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-17T19:26:29.780Z
@StephenG interesting; the video is definitely close, but is backwards. I want to solve something like the inverse problem: instead of, "I am standing at X, what date/time is best?" I want to know, "Given a date, what times/locations is Diamond Fuji visible." My precise location in Tokyo is fungible, but my dates are very limited. (my wife and I have an ongoing debate over document-vs-experience)
kyle
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-18T06:32:55.880Z
I don't think this is really on-topic in Astronomy.SE. You should check Earth Science.SE
Nilay Ghosh
<amateur-observing><positional-astronomy>
Viewing "Diamond Fuji"
kyle
# Viewing "Diamond Fuji"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-16)

Diamond Fuji is a phenomenon in which the (typically) setting sun is positioned directly atop Mt Fuji. Some relatively detailed predictions for viewing times at a nearby park are [available here](http://www.vill.yamanakako.yamanashi.jp.e.kh.hp.transer.com/holiday_diamondfuji.php).

![Diamond Fuji](https://d1fwj4bqr5098n.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/12/13120736/Diamon-Fuji_1-1024x684.jpg)

I will be traveling to Tokyo in early December, and would like to observe Diamond Fuji to the extent possible (if at all). I can rely somewhat on tourist-friendly websites, but information is sparse and imprecise.

Intuitively, one should be able to compute the time and viewing locations of Diamond Fuji for any day of the year: the summit of Mt Fuji lies on the line connecting the viewer to the sun. What is the best way to work out this sort of calendar/map?

---

*As a non-expert I suspect [this question](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/1855/how-to-get-the-longitude-latitude-from-solar-zenith-azimuth) is relevant but I am not certain.*

**Tags:** amateur-observing, positional-astronomy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This is really a question better asked on [Photography SE](https://photo.stackexchange.com/) but here's a [link to a video by one chap explaining the planning of such a shot](http://photoephemeris.com/it-s-not-about-sunset-planning-diamond-mt-fuji).  
> **username_0**: @StephenG perhaps, but this strikes me more as a question about the relative position of celestial bodies, with the constraint of ensuring a particular point lies on the path of observation. For what it's worth, I don't particularly want a picture, I just want to see it.  
> **username_1**: This sort of thing crops up all the time for serious landscape shooters, and there are applications and apps for this to do the hard work for times and dates and locations.  And if you're there to see it, why not have a go at photographing it - can't hurt and you might get an really impressive shot (does require a little technique, mind you).  
> **username_0**: @StephenG interesting; the video is definitely close, but is backwards. I want to solve something like the inverse problem: instead of, "I am standing at X, what date/time is best?" I want to know, "Given a date, what times/locations is Diamond Fuji visible." My precise location in Tokyo is fungible, but my dates are very limited. (my wife and I have an ongoing debate over document-vs-experience)  
> **username_2**: I don't think this is really on-topic in Astronomy.SE. You should check Earth Science.SE  

---

## 0 answers

