Mount Fuji, deeply loved by the Japanese people, is admired for its symmetrical beauty and sense of stability. It has been a motif in various works of art and has recently attracted many foreign tourists, contributing to its lively atmosphere.

“Akafuji” by KATSUSHIKA Hokusai

“Kanagawa oki namiurai” by KATSUSHIKA Hokusai

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a symbol of Japan, its history as such is surprisingly recent. It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2013, twenty years after the first site in Japan, the “Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area” in Nara Prefecture, which was designated in 1993.

In 1992, the “Council for Making Mount Fuji a World Heritage Site,” composed of nature conservation groups from Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, was established. Despite efforts like signature campaigns, environmental degradation caused by constant trash and human waste from climbers prevented it from being nominated as a ‘World Natural Heritage’ site during domestic reviews.

Google 画像検索結果: https://mtfuji.nyanta.jp/pic3/pic-jam03.jpg

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Consequently, the target was shifted to ‘World Cultural Heritage,’ and in 2013, this long-held ambition was realized with Mount Fuji’s registration as a World Heritage Site.

Historically, Mount Fuji has been a focal point of faith since ancient times. From the Edo period to the early Showa era, a simple teaching that involved worshipping Mount Fuji, devoting oneself to its spirit, and expressing gratitude became widespread among common people. This faith, known as ‘Fujiko,’ is depicted in UTAGAWA Hiroshige’s “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.” Practitioners would visit Mount Fuji, worship at the main Fuji Sengen Shrine, and then perform ascetic practices like the Fujiko Hakkai Meguri.

“Toukaidou gojyu-san tsugi” Hara by UTAGAWA Hiroshige

It’s worth noting that while some cultures interpret mountain worship as primitive faith, in Japan, it is understood not merely as animism but as part of the belief in ‘Yaoyorozu no Kami’ (Eight Million Gods). In this context, I encourage foreign visitors to consider why this mountain has been worshipped by the Japanese people.

That said, regardless of the various rationales, many Japanese people rejoice and take photos when they see Mount Fuji. As IWAYA Sazanami wrote, “Fuji is Japan’s greatest mountain.”

In public bathhouses “Sentou”, which served as a place of relaxation for the common people and a place for social interaction, there were almost always various paintings of Mount Fuji. It may be difficult to find them now.

100 Best Japanese Songs

“Palm fruit” is also called “Yashi no mi” in Japan.

YANAGITA Kunio, a folklorist who spent one summer in the Meiji Era at Cape Irago in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, told his literary friend about an episode in which he found a “palm fruit” washed ashore while taking a walk on the beach.

It was a time when knowledge of foreign countries was scarce. And the Japanese, surrounded by the sea, are thought to have long felt a romantic sense of “what kind of world there is outside the sea. This is probably the reason why people still refer to foreign countries as “kaigai,” which means “outside the sea. SHIMAZAKI Touson, a well-known literary giant of the Meiji period, was inspired to write these lyrics by a palm tree that had drifted ashore on a journey across the sea. He said to YANAGITA, “Give me the story. Don’t tell anyone.

The beautiful poem and melody, written in “Japanese for literature,” which is not used today, has been selected as one of the “100 Best Japanese Songs.

Many people take the one-hour ferry from Cape Irago to Ise-Shima to visit the Ise Jingu Shrine.

Photo by (c)Tomo.Yun

The song conveys the exuberance of children riding the train. It is very popular because of its very cheerful and joyful tune.

Originally, however, it was the soldiers who rode the train. The original version of this song, “Soldier’s Train,” was written in 1937 to see off soldiers heading off to war.

By Unknown author – http://www.pref.okayama.jp/hoken/hohuku/engo/photo/seikatu6-20.htm (adjusted by uploader), Public Domain, Link

In 1945, the year the war ended, the song was chosen to be sung in NHK radio’s New Year’s Eve special program “Kouhaku Ongaku Shiai (Kouhaku Music Contest),” and some of the lyrics were changed and reworked as a song for traveling children appropriate for the era of peace.

The lyricist, FUHARA Kaoru, was born in Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Gotemba was the site of an army training ground at the time, and it is said that he and his students often saw off soldiers who were going off to war.

The melody is said to have been inspired by Schubert’s “Military March.

100 Best Japanese Songs

In Japan, “New Year’s” is an incredibly significant seasonal celebration. It marks the start of the year and serves as a chance for a fresh mental and physical reset.

To welcome “Toshigamisama,” the deity of the New Year, people adorn their homes with “Kadomatsu” on auspicious days at the year’s end, prepare “Kagamimochi” and ceremonial sake, all in readiness for the welcoming ceremony. From New Year’s Day until the 3rd, known as “Sanganichi,” it was customary for families to peacefully spend time with Toshigamisama. Until the 1970s, shops would uniformly close, allowing homemakers to prepare “Osechi Ryouri,” dishes that could be made in advance, as they wouldn’t need to work during that period. Families would gather around the kotatsu, enjoying mandarins, visiting relatives and friends to exchange New Year’s greetings, while adults would share “Osechi Ryouri,” and sake from noon… that was the norm back then, an era without convenience stores like today.

Relatives living apart would also come together, and children eagerly awaited receiving “Otoshidama,” a New Year’s gift of pocket money. Cousins would gather, engaging in activities like flying kites, spinning tops, or playing “Hanetsuki” – an era without video games.

Traditionally, until the 15th in the new year, or shortened to the 7th in the Kanto region, “Matsunouchi” was observed. It’s a period where Toshigamisama is entertained at home, before gradually returning to the routine as the cold winter persists.

This song beautifully portrays the anticipation of children eagerly awaiting such “New Year’s” celebrations, expressed in simple yet heartfelt words, making it a timeless and cherished song sung across generations. HIGASHI_Kume, the lyricist, is known as the first person in Japan to write lyrics in colloquial language.

Selected as one of the”100 Best Japanese Songs”.

By the way, “Gantan” and “Ganjitsu” are often used interchangeably, but the character “Tan” is said to represent the rising sun depicted by a single horizontal line beneath the sun, signifying the morning of New Year’s Day.