Fuji: A Mountain in the Making

Bernstein (Modern Passings), a history professor at Lewis & Clark College, explores in this comprehensive account the role that Mt. Fuji has played in shaping Japanese culture. Contending that “other mountains may be as famous, but none has the combination of material and cultural attributes that makes Fuji such a dominating presence,” Bernstein traces the mountain’s history from the Ice Age to the present. In premodern Japan, Fuji was seen as “a source of life-giving water and devastating eruptions” as well as “a god of epidemics and a home of immortals.” The mountain was central to the development of Buddhism and Shintoism, with shrines and temples built at various elevations around the ninth century. Pilgrimages to the site became a significant source of income for locals, inspiring fierce competition. Bernstein also traces how Fuji evolved from a religious symbol to a national emblem that was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2013. The amount of detail is at times overwhelming—sentences are often bogged down with data and Japanese nomenclature—but Bernstein’s perspective on the intersection of geography and culture is illuminating, and the text is richly supplemented with maps and images. This will resonate with those who have a deep interest in Japanese history. Illus. (Sept.)