Mount Fuji sits near a triple-junction of plates that form the Amurian Plate, Okhotsk Plate, and Philippine Sea Plate. These plates cause frequent volcanic activity.
Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s three sacred mountains and has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries. It’s also the subject of many works of art, including ukiyo-e woodblock prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige.
It is a symbol of Japan
Mount Fuji is an iconic symbol of Japan. It appears on postcards, movie posters, and other popular media. It is also the country’s highest peak. It is an active volcano and has erupted numerous times in the past.
The name of the mountain is believed to be derived from Fuchi, the Ainu god of fire and the hearth. Some Buddhist sects consider it a holy place, and it became the destination of pilgrims practicing asceticism in the 14th century CE.
It is a place of spiritual inspiration and natural beauty. But with the thousands of climbers visiting every year, pollution has become a major issue. Food wrappers used climbing gear, and even old washing machines are left all over the place. This has created a problem that threatens the health and safety of all hikers. Nevertheless, the allure of the mountain continues to attract adventurers from all over the world. Whether you are a seasoned mountaineer or simply looking for a breathtaking experience, Mount Fuji is a must-visit!
It is a symbol of hope
The Japanese revere Mount Fuji as a shrine and sacred mountain. It is believed that this volcano offers a portal to heaven and that its symmetrical form is a representation of eternity. It is also considered a place for cleansing sins and seeking divine protection. The mountain is a sacred site of pilgrimage, and thousands of people climb it each year.
Even though it’s protected as a Unesco World Heritage Site, Mount Fuji is suffering from overtourism. Crowds of visitors trample the mountain’s spiritual integrity. In addition, the hordes of hikers leave behind garbage and pollution.
An adage says that anyone who has not climbed Fuji is a fool. However, if you want to preserve the mountain, you must take some measures to protect it from overtourism. To do so, you should clean up the trash and use environment-friendly toilets. In addition, you can help by donating money to nonprofits that work to protect the mountain.
It is a symbol of love
Each summer millions of tourists and pilgrims scale Fuji, whose summit is the highest point in Japan at 12,388 feet. Many of them, however, do not plan well and endanger themselves with altitude sickness or hypothermia. Moreover, they often dump trash and even raw sewage along the mountain’s trails. For this reason, a Japanese mountaineer named Watanabe founded a group to conduct cleanup campaigns during the climbing season.
The current kanji for Fuji — fu and shi — translate to wealth or abundance, but it is believed that their original meaning was “deathless,” a reference to the tenth-century Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which Princess Kaguya left behind both a poem and an elixir of life for the emperor. She burnt them on the peak of Fuji, and it became known as the “Immortal Mountain.”
As pilgrimages became more popular from the 18th century onwards, organizations were established to support the needs of climbers. Routes were delineated and huts were provided. The waters of eight lakes and five waterfalls in the Fujigoko region were used for cold ablutions (Mizugori) to purify pilgrims.
It is a symbol of peace
The majestic peak is a common sight in Hokusai paintings, evoking the natural world and Japanese history. It is also a symbol of peace and perseverance. In Shintoism – the indigenous, shamanistic religion of Japan – mountaintops are believed to be the dwelling places of gods and spirits. For this reason, they must be approached with awe and respect. In the case of Mount Fuji, the name comes from an Ainu word meaning “deity of fire,” a fitting description for a volcano with frequent eruptions.
The imposing peak holds a sacred position in the Shinto religion, with eight major shrines and hundreds of smaller ones built around its base. The emperors of the Japanese empire were so impressed by the beauty of the mountain that they vowed to visit its summit once a year, and the pilgrimage is still practiced today. However, overtourism – with its attendant problems like rubbish and rising CO2 emissions – is damaging the shrines’ spiritual integrity.
