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September 18, 2024
Mt. Fuji from Kamakura on December 29, 2018.
Mount Fuji is the highest point in Japan. It rises to 12,388 feet (3,776 meters). It is the Japan's most iconic symbol. It is an active volcano and has erupted more than 15 times since 781. The last eruption was in 1707. But it is still classified as active by geologists, and the last signs of volcanic activity occurred in the 1960s.
Mt. Fuji is not considered a difficult mountain to climb. However, it is extremely dangerous in the off season. The challenging thing is that "in-season" is extremely short. The official climbing season is from the beginning of July to the beginning of September. In this two-month period, more than 220,000 people climb to the summit!!! There were more than 310,000 people climbed to the top in 2010s during the climbing season. Basically, it is a traffic jam. That causes a lot of problems on the mountain - too many unexperienced hikers, littering, bathroom issues, and hikers' bad behaviors.
For these reasons, I had almost no interest to climb Mt. Fuji. But Mt. Fuji is a sacred place to me, and I want to pay respects to the mountain some day. I want to experience "the sunrise" from Mt. Fuji. We have a special word for watching sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji (or high mountains), and I don't know how to translate it in English. It is not just about translating the words. I can't completely explain what it means to watch "the sunrise" from Mt. Fuji. It is a feeling of thankfulness, blessing, gratitude, and praying all combined.
The typical hike start at mid-day from the mid-point of Mt. Fuji and spend a night on the mountain. Then, hikers start their hikes at the middle of the night (11pm to 1am) to the summit. The sunrise is about 4:30am at the beginning of July and 5:30am at the beginning of September. After paying respects to "the sunrise", hikers typically hike the flat portion of the mountain (around the summit) and visit two shrines along the trail. Hikers can see the caldera and spectacular views around the mountain.
I finally did it. It is hard to describe my experience. It was definitely the most crowded mountain that I had ever visited. And I didn't like the long wait or insanely slow hike because the trails were so narrow that we had to go with the flow. But it is beautiful. It was so special to see "the sunrise". It was an emotional experience. I was at peace and appreciated the beauty of Japan, the Japanese landscape, the Japanese culture, and being Japanese.
I see Mt. Fuji all the time from my hometown, Kamakura. I run along the beach with the best view of Mt. Fuji and always feel the mountain is protecting me and us all. We must take responsibility to protect mountains - the mountains which provide us spiritual strength and freedom.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." - John Muir
Fine Wind, Clear Morning by Katsushika Hokusai
Shadow of Mt. Fuji from the top of Mt. Fuji
Caldera
A long line to take a photo at the summit
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