The Relationship Between Mount Tsukuba and Mount Fuji, Passed Down Since Ancient Times. Ancient Japan

The Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki is an ancient geographical treatise (a record of the region’s geography, products, and folklore) compiled by the provincial governor of Hitachi Province (most of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) based on the “Imperial Edict on the Compilation of the Fudoki,” issued in 713 (the 6th year of the Wadō era) during the early Nara period.

According to this ancient document, long ago, the ancestral god—the forefather of the gods of Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba—found himself stranded on Mount Fuji at night while traveling. The ancestral god asked the god of Mount Fuji for lodging, but was refused on the grounds that it was the day of the harvest festival.
The ancestral deities felt sorrow and disappointment, and declared, “Why will you not let your parents stay the night? The mountain where you live will be covered in snow and frost, winter and summer alike, until the end of your days, and no one will ever be able to climb it.”
Next, the ancestral god climbed Mount Tsukuba to seek lodging. The god of Tsukuba replied, “Although we are holding the harvest festival tonight, we cannot refuse the command of the ancestral god,” and served food and drink, entertaining the guest with respect and reverence. Ōkami was greatly pleased and composed a celebratory song. As a result, while Mount Fuji remains covered in snow to this day and cannot be climbed, people continue to climb Mount Tsukuba to this very day, gathering there to sing, dance, drink sake, and enjoy meals.

Myths of this type—in which a community prospers by hosting the gods—can be found in various regions. In fact, both Mount Tsukuba (877m) and Mount Fuji (3776m) are popular mountains that are always bustling with people. However, because Mount Fuji is an isolated peak, the weather tends to be harsh in winter, and climbing is generally prohibited except during the summer. Mount Tsukuba, on the other hand, can be climbed year-round, and even those unfamiliar with mountain climbing can reach the summit by using the cable car or other means.