Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Kaguya-hime, the breathtakingly beautiful Moon Princess found as a baby inside a glowing stalk of bamboo. It is one of Japan’s oldest and most cherished fairy tales, immortalized by Studio Ghibli’s cinematic masterpiece.

However, there is a crucial detail—a deeply melancholic alternative ending—that directly links this ancient myth to the creation of the Land of the Rising Sun’s ultimate symbol: Mount Fuji.

Today, we unveil the secret mythological history of the world’s most famous volcano.

The Return to the Moon and the Farewell Gift

After living on Earth surrounded by the love of her foster parents and rejecting the marriage proposals of the country’s most powerful suitors, the time came for Kaguya-hime to depart. Her true family, the people of the Moon, came down to Earth to take her back home.

Among those who wept and fought desperately to keep her on Earth was the Emperor of Japan, who had fallen deeply in love with her. Before stepping into the celestial chariot and losing her earthly memories forever, Kaguya-hime left him a final token of her affection: a heartfelt letter and a small vial containing the Elixir of Eternal Life (Fushi no Kusuri).

The Emperor’s Grief

When the Emperor received the vial, his heart shattered. What was the purpose of living forever if he could never again see or hold the woman he loved? Without Kaguya, immortality felt like the most painful curse.

Refusing the divine gift, the Emperor penned a response poem (which the princess would never read) and summoned his most trusted commander. He ordered him to take the farewell letter, the elixir of immortality, and carry them to the peak of the highest mountain in Japan—the place closest to the heavens and the Moon.

There, on the summit, the soldiers were commanded to light a great fire and burn the vial, allowing the smoke to carry the message and the elixir directly back to the lunar kingdom.

How the Legend Created Mount Fuji

The commander followed his orders perfectly. He carried the elixir to the top of the sacred peak and set it ablaze. From that day forward, according to folklore, that volcano became known as Fuji.

While the word Fuji is written today with characters meaning “Wealth of Warriors” (honoring the Emperor’s soldiers), its original pronunciation is deeply tied to the word Fushi, which literally translates to “Immortal” / “Eternal Life”.

The legend says that the elixir never stopped burning deep inside the mountain. For centuries, the white smoke that historically billowed from the volcano’s crater (as Mount Fuji is an active volcano) was believed to be the vapor of the eternal elixir, constantly rising into the sky as the Emperor’s everlasting message of love to his moon princess.

Travel Tip

When your clients stand before the perfect silhouette of Mount Fuji, perhaps from the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko or Hakone, sharing this story will turn that view into something truly magical. They won’t just be looking at a mountain, but at the very place where the fire of an immortal love has been burning for over a thousand years.