Mount Fuji
Location
About
Japan's highest peak at 3,776 meters, Mount Fuji is a sacred Shinto site and UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. The Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha shrine claims ownership of the entire mountain above the 8th station. The mountain has been an object of religious pilgrimage and artistic inspiration for over 1,000 years, depicted in Hokusai's iconic Thirty-Six Views. Annual climbing season draws 200,000 ascents.
Significance
Mount Fuji's perfect symmetrical cone has made it the primary symbol of Japan itself and an object of religious awe since ancient times. In Shinto theology it is the body of the kami Sengen-Sama (also called Konohanasakuya-hime), and the Sengen shrines at its base and summit have received imperial patronage for over 1,000 years. The mountain's snow-capped summit visible from Tokyo 100 km away has given it a constant presence in Japanese spiritual life.
History & Historical Arc
The Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha shrine records pilgrimages from the 7th century CE. The mountain erupted in 781 CE and t…
Archaeological Notes
The summit crater contains the Okumiya (Inner Shrine) of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha. The Subashiri route has revealed I…
Key Features & Structures
- Summit crater Okumiya shrine
- Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha (base shrine)
Visitor Information
UNESCO Cultural World Heritage. Climbing season July-September. Summit accessible in 5-8 hours. Extreme weather possible…
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Man'yoshu (759 CE), vol. 3
- Hokusai, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1831-1834)