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[Shizuoka Prefecture Mount Fuji World Heritage Center] (Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, former province name: Suruga)



"The dawn sky, swaying in the mist of spring-colored smoke from Mt. Fuji, in the plains of heaven" (Poem by former Daisojo Jien from the Shin Kokin Wakashu)

Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Heritage site in 2013 as "Mt. Fuji - an object of worship and a source of artistic inspiration". Since ancient times, this mountain has reigned as the one and only symbol of Japan, and there is no doubt that it has had a strong influence on the roots of Japanese aesthetics, with its graceful, almost symmetrical shape and the gradation of colors created by the deep blue mountain shape capped with snow under the clear blue sky. However, when looking back at Mt. Fuji in Japanese history, one thing that cannot be overlooked is the fact that this mountain is undoubtedly a "volcano". The last recorded eruption, the Great Hoei Eruption (December 1707), is particularly famous, but other documents recording Mt. Fuji and artworks with Mt. Fuji as a motif reveal a slightly different "view of Mt. Fuji" from that of today's Japanese. For example, in the final part of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," Mt. Fuji appears as the place where the "elixir of immortality" left by Princess Kaguya for the emperor is burned, and the smoke from the burnt smoke is sublimated as it overlaps with the feelings of the princess who has returned to heaven. In this way, "smoke" appears frequently as an icon set with Mt. Fuji, especially in documents from ancient times to the Middle Ages, and people used the image of smoke to express feelings of awe and love. The poem by Jien (1155-1225) quoted at the beginning is a good example, and Mt. Fuji and the smoke may have been perceived as a "floating bridge" connecting heaven and earth.

I think that cultures that represent Mt. Fuji often originated in Suruga Province (present-day eastern Shizuoka Prefecture). In the aforementioned Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, the emperor describes Mt. Fuji as "the mountain peak in Suruga Province," and it is assumed that messengers and samurai carrying the elixir of immortality reached the summit from the Suruga region. In addition, in ukiyo-e prints from the Edo period, there are many depictions of travelers traveling along the Tokaido road looking up at Mt. Fuji, and the effect of placing humans as a means to express the majesty and mysticism of the mountain can be seen. Mt. Fuji is of course a mountain that is also seen from Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture) and other eastern countries, but this difference may have arisen because Kai Province is characterized by the strength of nature such as forests and lakes, while Suruga Province is closer to human life and psychology. In any case, the culture surrounding Mt. Fuji, which was set in Suruga Province, has been so abundant that it can be systematized to this day, and it has a wide base that matches the trends of the times.

The "Shizuoka Prefecture Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center" is the best place to understand Mt. Fuji as such a "cultural heritage." The facility opened in 2017 with the aim of "protecting, preserving, developing and transmitting the World Heritage Site to future generations" as stipulated in the World Heritage Convention. Located in front of the gates of "Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine," the base of worship of Mt. Fuji, you can see the mountain in the distance on a clear day. The spiral tour route is designed to allow visitors to experience climbing Mt. Fuji with actual footage, and when you reach the top floor, you will find an observation deck with a wide opening toward Mt. Fuji. After satisfying your mind with the magnificent view, follow the route down and you will come across cultural materials related to Mt. Fuji. From primitive nature worship to waka poetry, stories, paintings, Noh theater, and tourist brochures, Mt. Fuji is visually richly introduced as it has been represented in all aspects of culture and art, allowing you to experience the characteristics of its lineage. The lights are deliberately dimmed inside the building, and the faint projections of mandalas and masterpieces of ink paintings add depth to the image of Mt. Fuji, which today is often perceived as "beautiful," and provide clues to the thoughts of our ancestors who faced Mt. Fuji. The contrast between the darkroom and the bright exhibition room, which makes full use of natural light, is also impressive, and the bold structure directly stimulates the senses of visitors. The facility was designed by world-renowned architect Shigeru Ban (1957-). The "upside-down Fuji"-shaped dome, made of local wood, has a tremendous impact that you will never forget once you see it. It is easy to be drawn to the exterior, but if you open your eyes wider, you can see the silhouette of the building, which is reminiscent of Mt. Fuji, on the water surface below the facility. The upside-down design is also widely used on the observation deck on the top floor, and this unique architecture itself is connected to the "cultural lineage" surrounding Mt. Fuji. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★ (There are quite a few people, but it's a large place so it doesn't bother me)

Visited: 4th Sunday in December around 3pm

Access: About 8 minutes on foot from Fujinomiya Station

*Some of the photos in this post were borrowed from a friend

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Post by hanakin_kozakura | Jan 1, 2025

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