Jukai - Where the spirits dwell: Architectural markers for Fuji-san

Abstract

Mount Fuji, the embodiment of nature in traditional Japanese thought, was in July 2013 officially recognised as a cultural heritage site by UNESCO. As a result, 320,000 visitors are expected to visit the Mountain this summer, a large increase from previous years. Visitor numbers into the surrounding natural areas are also expected to increase. The selected site includes a portion of the notorious forest known as Aokigahara Jukai (Sea of Trees) – branded in the media as a place of death and haunting, the 35km2 terrain has a diverse geomorphological history.

The stigmatised area is gaining more popularity among thrill seekers which has negative social and physical implication to forest’s perceptions. The sheer visceral experience that is the Sea of Trees warrants a deeper manipulation of landscape at a larger scale to re-engage visitors with the area’s spiritual and physical connection to Mount Fuji.

Through examining the sacred identity of the landscape and enhancing the visitor experience, this thesis explores ways of engaging with the area through interventions across the landscape that invite visitors to pause and engage the places they occupy. Jukai interprets the spatial methods of traditional Japanese Gardens, and their contemporary reinterpretation by the architect Tadao Ando, as case-studies for design. These examples of Japanese design are chosen for their ability to manipulate visitor experience through space and the elements of nature. By testing how landscape architecture can help enhance the experience of a site, this thesis contributes to the growing discussion of landscape identity and the visitor experience within a sacred landscape.