Although Mt. Fuji is located some 100 km to the west of Tokyo, the celebrity volcano is visible from the capital city on a clear day. The iconic image of Fuji has been reproduced in many forms throughout Tokyo. Browse this subsite to see some of the representations captured in photos by the students on the 2017 Mt. Fuji overseas program!
Mt. Fuji: More than Memento - Representations of Mt. Fuji abound in Asakusa. Located there is the site of the biggest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, approachable almost exclusively from a network of streets lined with souvenir and specialty shops, snack booths, and restaurants. Milling about the streets was the largest collection of foreigners that I’d yet seen in Japan. Some Japanese […]
Mt. Fuji’s Fame with Consumers - Mt. Fuji is often one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of Japan. It has been a Japanese icon for centuries, ranging from being worshiped as a deity to being featured in everyday objects. It has become so popular that a walk through Tokyo’s many districts will result in seeing Fuji in […]Fujiko in modern time — the invisible world of Fujisan - Fujisan, standing at 3776 meters above sea level, is the tallest volcano in the Japan archipelago. One does not have to leave the bustling streets Tokyo to witness the grand presence of Fuji. In fact, you can find Fuji images plastered on everything from a 5-inch tall tissue box in Shinjuku (Fig.1) to a 7-foot […]
The Biodiversity of Fuji Images in Urban Environments - The greatest areas of biodiversity have varied landscapes to provide a range of habitats for the species that live there. Japan’s satoyama, or countryside, has high levels of biodiversity. The human involvement creates a range of habitats which support many different species. Habitats found around traditional rice paddies include the paddies themselves, which maintain water […]Discovering the Power of Fuji - Mt. Fuji has presence. As only a small landmark in the distance, the symmetrical mountain immediately calls attention to itself against the glamour of Tokyo’s industrial skyscrapers and neon signs. Whether in Tokyo’s flashy Ginza District or the fashionable Harajuku District, it is hard to forget that one resides in the mountain’s domain […]
Observations of Gender Dynamics in Fuji Consumer Products - As I reflect on the depictions of Fuji we discovered in our adventures around Tokyo, a picturesque view of the illustrious mountain itself lies before me. We are currently staying at a farmhouse nestled in the tiny village of Nemba. The scenery here is breathtaking and vastly different from the busy streets and tall buildings […]
Mount Fuji: A Holy Cliché - (Zoom in on the lower marker to find three objects found in the same store.) In Nemba, my morning routine consists of waking up in the farmhouse, cooking breakfast with the eleven other members of the Fuji 2017 Summer Program, and walking outside to meet our professors at the Fujisan Club Building. As I walk […]
Shrinking and Growing the Mountain - As I travel in Japan, I am constantly regaled with the silhouette of a steeply sloped mountain that is now iconic around the world. Mt. Fuji, the focus of our summer research, is everywhere from the horizon to the konbini (convenience store). Throughout my experiences, I’ve noticed the miniaturization of the mountain, its internationally situated […]
