Mount Fuji is the shape of the heart

"Mount Fuji is the shape of the heart."—Memories of the landscape woven by WABISUKE

Mount Fuji painted on blue cloth.
A scene that flows deep in the hearts of Japanese people is gently sewn into this small purse.

Mount Fuji is not just a mountain.
Although it is a volcano with an elevation of 3,776 meters, it has quietly but surely been present in our faith, art, and daily life from ancient times to the present.

The origins of Mount Fuji: myth and belief

In "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," it is said that the name "Fuji (immortality)" was born when the emperor burned the elixir of life left behind by Princess Kaguya on the peak of Mount Fuji.
Mount Fuji was also seen as a symbol of a violent god known for its repeated eruptions, and people offered prayers to appease its anger. Eventually, ascetic monks began to venture into the mountain and worship as a place to gain spiritual power.

Fuji as a source of artistic inspiration

Katsushika Hokusai's "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" and Utagawa Hiroshige's "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo."
Mount Fuji captured the imagination of artists and was placed at the center of their compositions.
Its appearance has influenced Western artists such as Van Gogh and Monet, and Mount Fuji lives on in art around the world.

What does Mount Fuji mean to young people?

For today's younger generation, Mount Fuji may seem like a "faraway tourist destination."
But don't you feel a sense of nostalgia and comfort when you see a picture or photograph of Mt. Fuji at random moments, or when you hear the legend of the first dream of the year, "One Fuji, two hawks, three eggplants"?

Mount Fuji is a "landscape shape" that exists in our memories.
It lives on quietly in the old stories told by our grandparents, in the illustrations in textbooks, and in the fabric of WABISUKE's clasp purses.

The thoughts behind WABISUKE's Mt. Fuji pattern

This purse is not just an accessory.
We hope that in the hands of those who hold it, Mount Fuji will become a part of their daily lives and evoke a landscape in their hearts.
We want the younger generation to think, "Mount Fuji is really cool."
With this wish in mind, WABISUKE chose this pattern.

Mount Fuji is not something to see, but something to feel.
And this way of thinking is passed down quietly through the generations.