Exploring Mount Fuji’s Ancient Murayama Old Trail

The “Murayama Ancient Trail” opened at the end of the Heian period (794-1185)

Fuji is usually climbed from the fifth station. However, both Yoshida-guchi and Fujinomiya-guchi are almost at the forest limit, and there are no trees near the trails. At the Gotemba Exit, for example, you are suddenly faced with a sand and gravel path to the summit. For those who are tired of such mountain climbing, the “Murayama Kodo” is now enjoying a quiet boom.

The Murayama Historic Trail is the oldest mountain trail on Mt. Fuji, with an elevation difference of 2,000 meters from the village of Murayama (Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture) at the southern foot of Mt. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), it was used by Shugenja (ascetic practitioners) for their ascetic practices called “Fuji-gyo.

There are various ways to reach the Murayama Historic Trail, one of which is the route from Tagonoura Beach.

Walking along the path to Murayama village at the end of March, the flowers and grasses in the gardens of private homes and plum trees in full bloom will delight your eyes along the way. If you are lucky, the cherry blossoms have even begun to bloom.

In early summer, the Murayama Historic Trail is covered with Ichirinso, mountain peony, Mitsuba azalea, and Yoraku azalea. In summer, mizunara (Quercus crispula) and beech trees begin to bloom. In summer, mizunara oak and beech trees provide shade, and the butterfly, Asagimadara, which migrates from Taiwan, dances in the air.

In autumn, the broad-leaved trees turn red and the larch trees at the fifth station turn bright yellow. I never get tired of walking here.

says mountaineer Hatakabori Kyohachi, who has been climbing the mountain since the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912).

At the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912), a new route was opened from Omiya (Fujinomiya), and the Murayama old road fell into disrepair, but it was excavated and maintained by the Fujinomiya City Local History Club and the people of the Murayama community around the end of the Showa period. However, the path was later blocked by fallen trees caused by typhoons, and Mr. Hatakabori was the main person responsible for making the path walkable again.

Fuji climbing tours” have existed since the Warring States Period!

By the way, if the trail was opened at the end of the Heian Period, did anyone climb Mt.

Fuji, written by a Chinese literature scholar named Miyako Yoshika in the mid-Heian period, describes the same scenery as the summit of Mt. Fuji’s summit today. Fuji. Fuji. It is likely that a local hunter lost his way up the mountain, which was reported to the capital and written down.

Fuji to pray, which may have given rise to the Murayama Shugendo (ascetic practices in Murayama), in which ascetic monks practiced asceticism along the Murayama Historic Trail.

Fuji during the Kamakura and Sengoku Periods, the Murayama Shugen was the main form of worship,

Fuji, but at the end of the Warring States period, a gyoja named Fujiwara no Kakugyo proposed a new type of Mt. Fuji, a system called “Fuji-ko” was born, in which anyone could visit Mt. Fuji by accumulating travel expenses, based on a gentle doctrine centering on the norms of daily life, rather than the rigorous ascetic practices of mountain ascetics.

As a result, the Fujiyoshido-Yoshida trail via the Nakayama road near Edo became very prosperous, and the Susubashiguchi trail also developed as an extension of the Oyama Pilgrimage to Oyama in Isehara City, which had been an object of worship since ancient times.

During the winter months when mountain climbing was not possible, ascetic practitioners scattered throughout the country and recruited people to participate in the Fuji Gyo. Fuji with them.

.” Those who could not go themselves would ask Shugenja to put their fuda in place of their own.”

Fuji climbing tours had begun in the Warring States Period.

A devastating blow to the Murayama Historic Trail was the anti-Buddhist movement known as the Habutsu Kishaku (movement to abolish Buddhism) policy of the new Meiji government. Shugendo (mountain asceticism) was banned, Buddhist facilities were destroyed, and the Murayama Historic Trail lost its climbers to the new trail from Omiya, which eventually became covered with trees and bushes.

The unique volcanic landscape is also a highlight.

This is the 11th year since Mr. Hatakehori established a tour that follows the former Murayama Shugen (mountain asceticism) route from Tagonoura Beach, Murayama Road, Murayama Old Road, and the Fujinomiya-guchi route to the top of Mt.

Walking along the Murayama Historic Trail, you can still see the remains of Shugen (mountain asceticism), such as the Fudauchi place, Nakamiya Hachiman Hall, Sasagori, and Ichinokido ruins,” he said.

According to Hatakehori, another attraction of the Murayama Historic Trail is that it allows visitors to come into contact with nature unique to Mt.

Fuji itself is a new volcano, formed only 10,000 years ago. Fuji is made of rocks and volcanic ash that hardened after lava flows cooled. Grass and trees grow on the ash, but only moss grows on the rocks, and trees spread their branches through the gaps between the rocks. You can also see ‘lava tree formations.’

When lava flows into a forest, the trees burn away, leaving behind a chimney-like mold. These are lava tree molds, and you can see various shapes of lava tree molds along the Murayama Historic Trail.

While it is not easy to abandon the idea of climbing up from the fifth station to see the sunrise, we recommend hiking slowly from the foot of the mountain to enjoy the natural beauty of Mt.

Misao Hatakabori was born in Hiroshima Prefecture. He started hiking in the mountains when he was in high school and has since walked in many mountains in Japan for more than 60 years. Recently, he has been flipping through newspapers from the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods to create a database of Mt. He is the secretary general of Yamaraku College.