Mount Fuji Through the Lens of Ōyama Yukio (Photos)

Culture

On June 22 UNESCO formally approved Mount Fuji for inclusion on its list of cultural World Heritage sites, making it the seventeenth Japanese site on the organization's lists. Here we revisit a New Year’s slideshow of images of the mountain by Ōyama Yukio, a photographer renowned for capturing the beauty of this symbol of Japan.

Mount Fuji, at 3,776 meters Japan’s highest mountain, has bewitched people since ancient times. One of many to fall under the mountain’s spell is photographer Ōyama Yukio, who has spent nearly 40 years striving to capture it in all its various guises.

Enthralled by Mount Fuji’s Divine Beauty

Ōyama Yukio has built his reputation as the world’s preeminent photographer of Mount Fuji, which he describes as a “goddess with the power to enthrall a man.” His single-minded photographic pursuit of Mount Fuji began with his first visit in 1976. His work takes him on strenuous hikes around the mountain, carrying some 25 kilograms of equipment. He often spends nearly two weeks waiting for the perfect moment to press the shutter.

“You have to be patient,” Ōyama says. “Fuji is a whimsical mountain—she doesn’t show her best side right away. Basically you have to be a slave to the mountain. In rain, snow, or hot beating sun: All you can do is wait. But when that moment arrives, the mountain can offer a spectacle that is simply staggering. The thrill sends a shiver down your spine. I don’t know how many such moments I have left in my life, so I’m going to keep my camera trained on Mount Fuji to make sure no chance passes me by.”

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Mount Fuji: Where the Spirits Dwell (Photos)

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Mount Fuji’s Servant: Ōyama Yukio

Aerial view from above the village of Narusawa (June)
Aerial view from above the village of Narusawa (June)

Photo taken from the Miho coast (January)
Photo taken from the Miho coast (January)

View from Hakone (January)
View from Hakone (January)

Red Fuji (September)
Red Fuji (September)

Backlit view (January)
Backlit view (January)

View at dawn (February)
View at dawn (February)

North Star and Mount Fuji (February)
North Star and Mount Fuji (February)

Greenish crest cloud above Fuji (February)
Greenish crest cloud above Fuji (February)

Mount Fuji behind an icy forest (March)
Mount Fuji behind an icy forest (March)

The dead of night (March)
The dead of night (March)

Reflection (March)
Reflection (March)

Clouds above Mount Fuji (June)
Clouds above Mount Fuji (June)

Aerial view from above the village of Narusawa (June)
Aerial view from above the village of Narusawa (June)

Blooming azaleas in the foothills of Mount Fuji (July)
Blooming azaleas in the foothills of Mount Fuji (July)

Mount Fuji at the end of the rainy season (July)
Mount Fuji at the end of the rainy season (July)

Mount Fuji reflected in Lake Tanuki (August)
Mount Fuji reflected in Lake Tanuki (August)

A symphony of morning colors (September)
A symphony of morning colors (September)

At dawn (October)
At dawn (October)

Mount Fuji in the morning glow (November)
Mount Fuji in the morning glow (November)

Aerial view of snowcapped crater of Mount Fuji (December)
Aerial view of snowcapped crater of Mount Fuji (December)

Bathed in light breaking through the clouds (December)
Bathed in light breaking through the clouds (December)

View from Mount Fuji’s southwest slope (December)
View from Mount Fuji’s southwest slope (December)

Mount Fuji floating above a sea of clouds (December)
Mount Fuji floating above a sea of clouds (December)

tourism Mount Fuji Katsushika Hokusai Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji Ohyama Yukio Fujigane Photographic Society of Japan Narusawa Miho Hakone Lake Tanuki Southern Alps Mount Akaishi Mount Kushigata Odawa Mitsutoge Lake Shōji Lake Ashino Acala Fujikawaguchiko photos