We’ve done it! We have finally summited Japan’s iconic mountain, Mt. Fuji, one of the world’s most picturesque stratovolcanoes. We have felt the bitter cold air from Japan’s tallest peak and accomplished something spectacular. During the approximately 11 hour ascent, we had plenty of time to ponder the lessons we have learned since coming to Japan, as the air near the top was too thin to maintain conversations with our fellow climbers; oxygen is a precious thing at such heights. One of the thoughts that resonated with me the most was the ways in which the cultural and the natural are merged in the Fuji experience. In this way, the great mountain is a perfect example of the Nature/Culture theme of Imagining the Global. Mt. Fuji is inherently, undeniably a natural feature; it is a stratovolcano formed at the confluence of of four tectonic plates that human beings hand no influence in creating. However, the Mt. Fuji that we know and love today, a national and religious icon, crawling with tourists, is very much a human and cultural phenomenon. There are a few lessons that we have encountered while in Japan that I believe epitomize the inseparability of the natural and cultural sides to Mt. Fuji.
Volcanic Activity and the Worship of Fuji: How the Nature of Fuji Defined a Culture
Fuji has played a dominant role in many of Japan’s religions. The mountain was not only seen as a place of pilgrimage but also viewed as a powerful deity by some. The very nature of the volcano, its active destructive potential, made Fuji an important part of worship. Though Mt. Fuji has remained peaceful since its last eruption in 1707, its devastating force was a major threat to the people who lived around the massive stratovolcano. According to Melinda Takeuchi in Making Mountains: Mini Fujis, Edo Popular Religion and Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, “Placating [Mt. Fuji] was a high priority in religious and political sectors: Fuji’s deity was accorded court rank in the ninth century in effort to cajole the volcano into quiescence.” In efforts to appease the natural forces of the Fuji god, different groups developed different ways of honoring the mountain deity, including making yearly pilgrimages up the mountain. During our climb we had the pleasure of crossing paths with several Fuji pilgrims.
Humans and Natural Processes on Mt. Fuji Trails
The religious significance of Mt. Fuji has drawn people to the mountain for centuries. According to Earhart in Mt. Fuji: Icon of Japan, from as far back as the 17th century, thousands of pilgrims visited Mt. Fuji each year. Today, roughly 300,000 climbers summit Mt. Fuji during the climbing season. The high volume of traffic has led to a uniquely high level of development on Mt. Fuji. Dating back to before the Tokugawa period, trails were developed by humans and mountain lodgings were available to pilgrims. Today, you can find a vending machine and a warm meal at nearly every station. There is even a post office and several gift shops at the Fuji summit. However, the extent of human development does not suggest that the natural, geological forces on Mt. Fuji have been stifled by human interaction. The trails were made by humans, but they were made using rocks from the mountain itself and wood from the surrounding forests. Although the trails are manipulated and maintained by humans, natural processes obviously play a major role in influencing the state of the trails. Since the surface of Mt. Fuji is primarily made up of a thick scoria layer, erosion by both foot traffic and natural processes constantly alters the paths. With so much influence from both sides of the spectrum, the human and the earth, it is impossible to say that the trails leading to the summit of Mt. Fuji are simply natural or simply cultural structures.
Mt. Fuji as a Cultural World Heritage Site
A discussion of how Mt. Fuji has blurred the lines between human and natural elements would not be complete without discussing the designation of Mt. Fuji as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 2013. During our time in Japan, we have learned a great deal about the process and opinions surrounding the designation. As stated before, Mt. Fuji is an obviously a natural feature. However, it failed to be accepted as a Natural World Heritage Site for a number of reasons, a minor one of which was the high volume of human development. Despite its inability to pass as a Natural World Heritage Site, the stratovolcano was able to be designated as a Cultural World Heritage Site. This geologic feature was able to achieve such a designation due to its importance to the religious traditions of Japan as well as its significance to artists and poets from around the world. In Mt. Fuji: Icon of Japan, Earhart states that “A long list of artists, many of them major figures–Degas, van Gogh, and others ‘from Wistler to Matisse’–gained inspiration” from images of Mt. Fuji. After viewing Fuji–first in pictures, then from a distance, and now up close–it is no wonder such a spectacular natural feature could inspire art and culture around the world. The 11 hour ascent up the mountain gave us the opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned during our time in Japan and synthesize both the cultural and natural aspects that have made Mt. Fuji a national symbol of Japan and inspired people around the world. Despite the designation of Mt. Fuji as a Cultural World Heritage Site rather than a Natural World Heritage Site, the Fuji we have come to know and love doubtlessly embodies both aspects of the Nature/Culture dyad. Climbing Mt. Fuji is an experience that none of us will soon forget. And the lessons of culture, history, and geology will not soon be forgotten either.
References Earhart, H. Byron. 2011. Mount Fuji: Icon of Japan Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. Takeuchi, Melinda. 2002. “Making Mountains: Mini-Fujis, Edo Popular Religion, and Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.” Impressions 24: 24–47.