It’s unclear when people began to believe that a god resided on Mt. Fuji. We know that this god was called Asama no Ōkami in ancient times. This god came to be called Sengen Daibosatsu when Buddhism spread during the Heian Period.
In the following Kamakura Period, the deity of Mt. Fuji became known as “Princess Kaguya.” Princess Kaguya was born from a stalk of bamboo. Once grown, the Emperor of Japan wished to marry her. She turned him down and returned to her home, the moon. As she bade him farewell, Princess Kaguya gifted the Emperor an elixir of immortality. The Emperor said, “What is the point of living forever in a world without Princess Kaguya?” He then ordered that the elixir be burned somewhere that is the closest to heaven. A group of seasoned warriors climbed up Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, and burned the elixir of immortality. As it was then an active volcano, it is believed that smoke was billowing from the peak. The name “Fuji” is made up of two characters meaning “abundance” and “warrior.” People believed that the name Mt. Fuji came from the many warriors who climbed the mountain, leading to it being known as “the mountain abundant in warriors.”
During the Muromachi Period, the tale of Princess Kaguya changed as follows.
Princess Kaguya was born from a stalk in a bamboo forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji. An elderly couple took her in and raised her with love. Kaguya grew up to become a beautiful woman and lived harmoniously with a powerful man from her town who had fallen in love with her at first sight. Several years went by, and after the elderly couple passed away, Princess Kaguya confessed something to her beloved. “The truth is, I am an immortal being from Mt. Fuji. I must return home.” Following that, Princess Kaguya disappeared. The man was saddened by the sudden parting, and he headed to the peak of Mt. Fuji, but he couldn’t find her. He looked down into the volcanic crater and saw the faint image of Princess Kaguya within the billowing smoke. The man then jumped into the crater. Were the two able to reunite? It is said that following the man’s brave plunge, the two appeared together as gods of Mt. Fuji.
Fast forwarding to the Edo Period, the god of Mt. Fuji was now known as Princess Konohanasakuya, who was said to be a goddess unequalled in beauty. The following tale is a legend about the princess.
One day, Princess Konohanasakuya had something on her mind troubling her. She worried that it wasn’t right that beauty was her only trait and decided to do something no one had ever done before: climb Mt. Fuji on her own. However, the path up the mountain was treacherous, and she lost her way in the middle of her journey. It was then that three monkeys appeared and guided her up the mountain. With the help of the monkeys, the princess was able to reach the summit. After thanking the monkeys, she asked them to not tell anyone that she’d climbed to the top of the mountain. The monkeys respectively covered their eyes, ears, and mouth, promising that they heard nothing, saw nothing, and would speak nothing. Relieved, Princess Konohanasakuya made her way to the tallest point on the summit, and placed her sword in the ground. This spot is said to be the peak currently known as Kengamine.
This isn’t the only story about Princess Konohanasakuya
One day, a god named Ninigi-no-Mokoto came down to the mortal plane and saw a beautiful woman and fell in love. That woman was Princess Konohanasakuya. The two were wed, and the princess was blessed with a child overnight. However, Ninigi-no-Mikoto was suspicious of this miracle. “Is this truly my child?” he asked her. Princess Konohanasakuya was shocked and confined herself to her delivery room. In an attempt to prove her innocence, the princess set the delivery room on fire. “If this child is still able to be born safely, that will prove that the child is yours,” she proclaimed. After that, the goddess successfully gave birth to three children.
Whether people believed in Asama-no-Ōkami, Princess Kaguya, or Princess Konohanasakuya, it was always believed that a deity resided in Mt. Fuji. These goddesses were believed to be symbols of protection from fire and the safe birth of children. The Japanese term for god is “kami,” and some people also refer to their wives as their “kami-san.” This comes from the fact that many deities of the mountains were believed to be goddesses, including those residing in Mt. Fuji. Perhaps both goddesses and wives have long been seen as beings that were terrifying when upset.