THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD: Above the city

There's a famous answer to the question "Why climb Mt. Fuji?" that the Japanese like to quote, and while I can't recall who first gave it (perhaps Pat Morita?), I think it pretty well expresses my own reasons for partaking. And that is, well, "because it's there." In fact, that very statement could sum up my reasons for coming to Japan as a whole. Anyway, regardless of the how weak this defense is and ignoring any risk to reward scenarios I may have come up with before departing for Tokyo (risk: end up wet and angry, reward: watch the sunrise from a really tall mountain), I'm back now and happy to report that there is both good and bad news regarding climbing the honorable Fuji-san.

The good news is that, on a clear day, the climb really does provide for some beautiful views and good aerobic exercise. There's a general feeling of goodwill on the mountain, and everyone from school children to US military to elderly Japanese seem to enjoy rooting each other on. Aside from an exhausting last several hundred meters or so, scaling Mt. Fuji is an enjoyable process made more fun by hiking with a friend.

The bad news, however, is that hiking Mt. Fuji on a shitty weather day isn't much fun at all. Luckily for us the inclement weather came mostly on day 2, but it left us scrambling down the mountain on what should have been a leisurely hiking morning. Also, we never saw Gollum.

Ultimately, missing the famed Fuji sunrise due to cloud cover stamped a bit of the buzz off what was otherwise a great weekend, but I'm still grateful for the experience. There's another saying the Japanese have that goes (and I'm paraphrasing) "The man who never climbs Fuji is a fool, and the man who climbs Fuji twice is a bigger fool." Am I happy I climbed once? Absolutely. Is it worth doing again? You tell me.

Pictures. Douzo.