Princeton UP Ideas Podcast Andrew W. Bernstein, "Fuji: A Mountain in the Making" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Dec 26, 2025
Andrew W. Bernstein, a historian and author, explores the multifaceted story of Mount Fuji, revealing its tumultuous past and cultural significance. He discusses Fuji as an active geological force, detailing its eruptions and their impact on society. Bernstein delves into early literary depictions and religious practices, highlighting how Fuji became a symbol of national identity. He examines the complexities of pollution, military use, and globalization's influence on Fuji, ultimately inviting reflections on our connection to nature and history.
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Mountain As Active Actor
- Mount Fuji acted as an active agent by erupting and shaping human practices and settlements over tens of thousands of years.
- Its eruptions and abundant water made it both a destroyer and a life-giver, entwining geological and human histories.
Hōei Eruption Tested Tokugawa Power
- The 1707 Hōei eruption buried villages, ruined fields, and stressed flood infrastructure for decades afterward.
- The shogunate intervened with unprecedented expropriations and a nationwide tax to fund repairs and relief.
Fujiko Reimagined Fuji's Body
- Fujiko movements recast Fuji as a nurturing, cosmic parent with bodily metaphors like womb-caves and milk-like springs.
- These practices offered inclusive pilgrimage options, such as Fujizuka, especially for women barred from the summit.