Fujisan, famously known as Mt. Fuji, is the tallest
mountain in Japan at 3,776m or 12,388ft. There is a total
of 25 sites inscribed under Mt. Fuji, including the Fuji Five
Lakes (Fujigoko), Sengen Shrines, Oshi Lodging Houses,
Oshino Hakkai Springs, Funatsu, Yoshida lava tree
molds, Shiraito Falls, and Miho Pine Grove. Its history in
Japanese art has made the mountain a recognized
symbol of Japan.
Mt. Fuji is currently an active stratovolcano; its last
eruption was in 1707. The mountain’s symmetrical slopes
and snowcapped cone make Mt. Fuji a unique icon. It
has been a center for Shinto practice, which is one of the
indigenous religions in Japan. The worship of Fujisan
centers on drawing power from the deities residing in the
mountain. To calm the repeated eruptions during the 8th
century, Asama no Okami, the deity in Mt. Fuji, was
enshrined. As the devotion to Mt. Fuji evolved, traditions
that emphasized the harmony between man and nature
eventually turned into gratitude for the blessings the
mountain provides. Along the climbing routes, you can
see stone monuments, small shrines, and a variety of
festivals related to the adulation of Fujisan.
Fujisan has been the subject various artistic artwork due
to its majestic shape. Beginning around the Edo
Shogunate, ukiyo-e, or woodblock prints, famously
depicted Mt. Fuji. Notable artists like Katsushika Hokusai
and Utagawa Hiroshige presented Fujisan from different
perspectives. Its representation goes back to the 11th
century, but works particularly in the 19th century are still
widely known around the world and have left a deep
impression on Western art. Mt. Fuji is a majestic symbol
and an exceptional testimony to cultural and religious
tradition.
