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Today, we continue exploring the relationship between Mount Fuji and the people of Japan, focusing on the period from the Kamakura Period (1185–1333) to modern times.
Kamakura Period: Samurai, Hunts, and Legacy
After centuries of volcanic activity subsided, Mount Fuji entered a quieter phase during the Kamakura Period. Large eruptions faded from records, though poets like those in the Shinkokinshu and Sanka Shu anthologies still referenced the mountain.
The era’s most iconic event was the “Fuji Makigari” of 1193—a massive hunting spectacle organized by shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. Over 1,500 warriors gathered to encircle deer and wild boars across what is now Gotemba City, Susono City, and the Asagiri Highlands. This hunt, documented in the historical text Azuma Kagami, served both as military training and a display of Yoritomo’s authority.
Yoritomo’s Legacy Today:
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Yabusame Rituals: Horseback archery ceremonies at Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha (Shizuoka) and Mishima Taisha honor his reign.
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Historic Sites:
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Kariyado no Geba Zakura: A cherry tree where Yoritomo tethered his horse.
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Jinba Falls: A waterfall linked to his encampment during the hunt.
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Otonashi Falls: Where the Soga brothers, participants in the hunt, plotted their famed revenge.
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Muromachi to Edo Periods: Pilgrimage and Pop Culture
Muromachi Period (1336–1573): The Rise of Pilgrimage
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Fuji Mandala Paintings: The Silk Fuji Mandala at Sengen Taisha depicts pilgrims purifying themselves at the shrine before ascending to summit temples.
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Hasegawa Kakugyo: In the turbulent Sengoku era, this ascetic meditated in Fuji’s lava caves (e.g., Hitoana) and laid the groundwork for Fuji-ko, a devotional movement.
Edo Period (1603–1868): Fuji-ko Fever
After Kakugyo’s death in 1643, disciples spread his teachings, creating hundreds of Fuji-ko groups (“800 guilds in Edo”). Miniature Fuji mounds (Fujizuka) allowed commoners to “climb” the mountain spiritually.
Key Events:
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1707 Hoei Eruption: Devastating lava flows near the base intensified reverence for Fuji.
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Artistic Boom: Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1831) and Hiroshige’s Fuji Thirty-Six Views (1859) transformed Fuji into a cultural icon.
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First Foreign Climber: British diplomat Rutherford Alcock summited Fuji in 1860, six years after Japan reopened to the West.
Meiji Era to Present: From Sacred Peak to Global Icon
Meiji Modernization (1868–1912)
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End of Buddhist Influence: Anti-Buddhist policies (Haibutsu Kishaku) stripped Fuji’s summit of statues and renamed its peaks (e.g., Kengamine replaced Dainichi Peak).
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Tourism Boom: Roads to the 5th Station opened, welcoming climbers of all backgrounds.
Key Modern Milestones:
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1872: Women allowed to climb Fuji.
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1880: First meteorological observations at the summit.
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1889: Tokaido Line (incl. Gotemba Route) connects Tokyo to Fuji.
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1964: Fuji Subaru Line highway and weather radar built.
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2013: UNESCO designates Fuji a World Heritage Site.
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2020: COVID-19 forces first-ever summer closure.
Conclusion
Once feared for its eruptions, then revered as a sacred site, Mount Fuji has become Japan’s most beloved “commoner’s mountain”—a symbol of natural beauty and cultural resilience. From samurai hunts to Hokusai’s prints, its story mirrors Japan’s own journey through time.
