Mount Fuji is Japan’s most famous mountain, its iconic shape present in the country’s art, currency, and even pop culture. But while you might be familiar with Mount Fuji, how much do you really know about it?
Here we’ve included several lesser-known trivia about the mountain that is super interesting! For example, what is Red Fuji, and why is it considered an auspicious sight? Also, is there really an unidentified mysterious animal called Mossie lurking in the nearby Lake Motosu?
Join us on this intriguing journey through a few Mount Fuji facts, and let your curiosity be tickled!
1. Mount Fuji’s Meaning: Peerless Mountain, Immortal Mountain, or Inexhaustible Mountain
Mount Fuji has several meanings behind it!
What is the significance of Mount Fuji’s name? Plenty of possibilities have been proposed regarding its origin.
Currently, the way Mount Fuji is written in Japanese (富士山), it means Prosperous Mountain, but a popular theory says the name was originally written to mean Peerless Mountain (不二山), since it is a mountain that is like no other in Japan.
Another theory suggests that the elixir for immortality mentioned in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter was concocted at the peak of Mt. Fuji, so the mountain’s name was originally Immortal Mountain (不死山).
Yet another theory claims that because snow never disappears from the summit, the name originally meant Inexhaustible Mountain (不尽山). Of course, these are just hypotheses that can’t be verified, but it’s certainly interesting to know how Mt. Fuji can mean so many different things to different people!
2. Why is Red Fuji considered auspicious?
Some time between the tail end of summer to the start of autumn, the rising sun sets Mt. Fuji alight with a fiery color in a phenomenon known as Red Fuji. Since this sight is only visible for a very limited period of time, those who manage to catch a glimpse of it are considered lucky, and many believe this rare sight will bring about business prosperity for them or ensure that their wishes come true. Another traditional belief about Red Fuji is that it increases fertility, since it seems to make Mt. Fuji resemble a pregnant lady dealing with birth pangs.
3. “Dokkoisho” is said to have originated from Mt. Fuji
“Dokkoisho” is something like the Japanese version of “heave-ho”. This is a phrase many Japanese say when making some effort to stand up from a seated or lowered position, and there is a theory going around that the phrase originated from Mt. Fuji.
The mountain has a long history of being a central religious site for the Japanese, and pilgrims were thought to have chanted the phrase “Rokkon Shōjō” as they made …
