Fugaku 360 and the Ochudo Gallery
The centerpiece of this floor is Fugaku 360*, a 1/800-scale model in washi paper of Mt. Fuji’s upper reaches. It is meant to be viewed from the Ochudo Gallery, the perimeter catwalk named after the Ochudo, or Middle Road, a trail circling the mountain at elevations between 2,300 and 2,800 meters, roughly 1,300 meters below the peak.
The Ochudo was always traveled clockwise, and the Ochudo Gallery is designed to be walked the same way. Information panels on the outer wall offer an overview of the history of Mt. Fuji and the faith it inspired, while multimedia projections on the model bring the mountain’s many faces to life. At the location of the Yoshida Ascending Route on the north face, a short movie about the natural beauty of Mt. Fuji throughout the four seasons and the Fuji faith is screened at regular intervals.
* Fugaku is a literary synonym for Mt. Fuji.
Osawakuzure (Osawa Collapse)
The Ochudo was more dangerous than the trail to the peak, and only the hardiest pilgrims attempted it. One hair-raising image from the early days of photography shows a group traversing a narrow ledge in single file. While parts of the trail can still be hiked, a complete circuit is now impossible because of the Osawakuzure (Osawa Collapse), an erosional valley on Mt. Fuji’s west face that has become an impassable ravine some 500 meters across.
