Mount Suribachi, Extinct volcano in Iwo Jima, Japan

Mount Suribachi is an extinct volcano at the southwestern tip of Iwo Jima that rises 169 meters (554 feet) above the water. Its steep slopes climb to a crater at the top, where you can see the shape that gives this place its name.

United States Marines reached the summit in February 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima and raised a flag there. That moment was captured in a photograph that became one of the most recognized war images of the twentieth century.

The name comes from the suribachi, a Japanese grinding bowl, because the hill's profile resembles one turned upside down. Islanders also call it Paipu-yama, "Pipe Mountain", since steam and sulfur gas rising from the summit look like smoke from a pipe when seen from the sea.

Access is heavily restricted because the island remains under military administration and only a few authorized visits occur each year. If you receive one of these rare opportunities, you can explore a network of tunnels and fortifications through guided tours.

The Japanese name Suribachi refers to a grinding bowl, and the alternative name Mount Pipe comes from steam and sulfur gas rising from the summit, which from the sea looks like a smoking pipe. The US Navy ammunition ship USS Suribachi was named after the hill.