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This is a Sokyoku piece in the Kumiuta style from the Ikuta Ryű school . This piece was composed for koto by Mitsuhashi Kengyo .

History (from Tsuge Gen'ichi)
Mitsuhashi, a blind musician and a student of Kurahashi Kengyo (d. 1724), who was in turn a disciple of Ikuta Kengyo (1656-1715) of Kyoto, was sent to Edo (present day Tokyo) by his teacher in order to disseminate the Ikuta style of koto music there.

He was a prolific composer of music kumiuta. Shiki no Fuji ('Mt. Fuji in the Four Seasons') is one of his representative compositions.

This song cycle consists of an opening song, four songs praising the beauty of Mt. Fuji in each of the four seasons, and a concluding song which was formally considered a secret piece and rarely performed in public.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)
When I emerge
Upon the Shore of Tago,
I can see the famous mountain
Rising above the clouds.
Its shape is graceful
In all the four seasons-
Which is best
I cannot tell.

Through the haze
Of a spring morning
Is revealed
Yesterday's snow,
White blossoms
Without compare-
Only on this sacred peak,
Mt. Fuji.

In my hand
A three-ply
Folding fan
As white as snow:
The heat of summer fades
As the evening glow
Is reflected
On Mt. Fuji.

In autumn, of course,
The moon and the snow:
If I described the scene
To one who has not been there,
He would never,
Never understand.
Therefore I shall not even try.
Mt. Fuji.

When winter comes,
People in the capital
Look forward to viewing the snow.
But if you live
Far to the east,
Everyday in the morning calm
You can see it on
Mt. Fuji.

Above the changing seasons,
Beyond the changing seasons,
Mt. Fuji seems not to know
That summer is still with us.
Already it wears a white-spotted veil
Of freshly fallen snow,
Already it wears a white-spotted veil
Of freshly fallen snow.