It has been announced that actor Junichi Okada will appear in TV Asahi's major special program "2026 New Year's Good Luck Special: Everything about the Sacred Mountain Mount Fuji - Spectacular Scenery and Mysteries that Captivate the World Throughout the Years," which will be broadcast on January 2, 2026 at 9:00 PM. He will serve as a host alongside actor Aju Makita, exploring the charms of Mount Fuji.
To get to the bottom of the mystery of "Why are Japanese people so fascinated by Mount Fuji?", Okada will visit shrines and other places to learn about the faith of the Edo period. At Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine in Shizuoka, he will view the "Fuji Mandala on Silk," which depicts the ascent of Mount Fuji during the Muromachi period.
He will also visit a descendant of the "Oshi," a guide who has been guiding climbers since the Edo period. He will savor the food served during the climb of Mount Fuji, experience the "Womb Tour" of purifying himself by touring caves, and get a glimpse into the climbing style and religious practices of his ancestors. In July of this year, he actually climbed Mount Fuji, interviewing the people he met about the "charm of Mount Fuji." He also gazed upon the sunrise from the summit and choked up, saying, "It's rare to see something as beautiful as this."
On the other hand, Makita approaches "the blessings of Fuji's water" and "art related to Mount Fuji." Although it is his first experience shooting a documentary, he walks through the sea of trees and enters the river to conduct his own interviews.
TV Asahi spent about a year capturing the spectacular views of Mount Fuji using a variety of techniques, including aerial photography with drones and time-lapse photography, conducting in-depth coverage on an unprecedented scale.
