niponica is a web magazine that introduces modern Japan to people all over the world.
2014 No.13
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Mount Fuji, Symbol of Japan
Fuji—Here, There, and Everywhere
Fuji has made its way into the lives of the people, coming in from different angles. Feelings run strong about Japan’s most-famous mountain, giving it a defining presence in society.
Finding Fuji
There it soars, beyond small communities located on its foothills, beyond the nation’s capital Tokyo, beyond the metropolitan airport... whenever you catch a glimpse of it, Mount Fuji is sure to make a beautiful backdrop.
The mountain today, and a woodblock print from the 19th century. The photographer and the artist worked from the same vantage point. (Photos taken in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, by Shoji Hirohiko. Woodblock print entitled Tokaido Gojusantsugi no uchi, Yui Satta Mine (“Yui, Satta Pass, from the Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road”), by Utagawa Hiroshige. (Property of the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library, Special Collection Room)
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Scenes from near and far
1. The mountain provides the backdrop to a festival being held with a wish for successful fishing and safety at sea. The Ose Festival in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. (Photo by Shoji Hirohiko)
2. Hikers took stones from the seashore and piled them up in this mound, praying for safety before setting out for religious observances on the mountain. Location: Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture. (Photo by Shoji Hirohiko)
3. Fuji seen from Futamigaura in Ise, Mie Prefecture, about 200 km away. (Photo courtesy of pixta)
4. The Tokyo Skytree, a new hot spot in the metropolis, graced by the mountain. (Photo courtesy of Aflo)
5. On a clear day you can see Fuji even from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport). (Photo courtesy of Aflo)