Honderd gezichten op de berg Fuji 1859

This is the cover of “One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji,” made by Utagawa Hiroshige. Dominating the cover are Japanese characters arranged vertically on the left. The characters spell out the book’s title, immediately signaling the importance of Mount Fuji, a sacred symbol in Japanese culture. This mountain is not merely a geographical feature but embodies spiritual, aesthetic, and national identity. The prominence of Mount Fuji as a symbol can be traced through centuries of Japanese art and folklore. Much like the recurring motifs in Renaissance art, Fuji appears in various guises, each reflecting the cultural mood of its time. The mountain’s enduring presence taps into what we might call the collective unconscious, a shared reservoir of symbols. Mount Fuji has been reshaped and re-contextualized, yet its essence remains, engaging us on a subconscious level. This symbol transcends time, evolving while retaining its powerful core.