Lava from Mt. Fuji

Hi! If I were to go to Fuji 5th Station and walk around a bit, would I be able to pick up pieces of lava from the volcano? You know, the kind that is a little sharp and with holes in it? Someone asked me to get her some and I wonder if it is possible. Any way I can leave the mountain with2 pieces of actual lava?

Please refrain from doing so. Removing any rock/mineral from a national park is illegal.

Fair enough. I respect that. Now, would the shops at the 5th station sell souvenir "approved" lava rocks? How can I legally/morally obtain such lava rocks?

While trying to find an answer to your question, I came across dealers getting caught attempting to remove such rocks for the purpose of selling. I do not know if there is any "authorized" trader in those things.

Some souvenir shops seem to sell "lava-shaped candies" as souvenirs; those might be fun for your friend :)

Whoops, I meant to say "I came across news articles talking about dealers getting caught..." sorry.

Thanks AK! It seems like my friend is going to be out of luck, as I really don't want to do anything close to being inappropriate.

Does your friend and/or you live in a country with volcanoes?lava is lava is lava...

The United States is where she's from. She just wanted it from Fujisan as it is an iconic image of Japan. She'll have to learn to live without.

Geology tip of the day: Unfortunately, most of what you find around 5th station will be Scoria rocks (they are igneous rocks, but are technically not of lava origin). The holes you refer to are called vesicles and are formed when gas is trapped in the cooling magma when solidifcation occurs. Interesting huh?
Also, lava is lava is lava is incorrect. Few lava types exist (Pahoehoe, A'a and Block Lava), and of those types, many lava derivatives and rocks may form depending on the mineralogy.

As for your question, if your friend would like a lava present from Fujisan, may I recommend a visit to the caves to the west of Kawaguchiko (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6911.html). This will be the closest you get to "Mt fuji Lava" as the caves are ancient Mt Fuji lava tunnels.
Someone may be able to help clarify if the caves fall within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, so there may be a possibility of nabbing a souvenir?

Additionally, there is the Yamanashi Gem Museum in Kawaguchiko (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6927.html). They have a gift shop which sells rocks, but I am unsure if they will be from Mt Fuji.

Otherwise, just walking around southern shores of Lake Shoji (west of Kawaguchiko) will yeild results. The rocks in that specific area are remnants of lava flows from past Fuji eruptions.

Good luck, I hope this helps :)

Geo Scientist, thank you, yes it does help! I'm not sure how much, if any, loose rocks I may find in the caves, but a visit to the museum may be interesting, even if it just to buy a possible "fake". Even better, a nice walk on the lake may be nice as well. Thank you once again!