Out After 10 Years (23): Fujiyama

 Climbing, or perhaps I shall say, hiking Mt. Fujiyama was part of my trip to Japan until I realized that I had to register and it was too late. Now I have my second ticket to Narita purchased but with the current employment status I won't be able to go until, the earliest, in 2026. Then after reading all the crowds and hassle about registration and booking a nice and comfortable place nearby, I thought I should perhaps to switch to another hike in that country as there're many available and all as beautiful or even nicer than Fuji.This mountain has always been the symbol of Japan and there's barely any picture, clip, book or advertisement that do  not contain a snow-covered mountain in it and the Japanese are proud of that. The recent climate change has resulted in this always covered mountain to lose its glory, recently! I read about it when I came back from my trip and then I went back to my pictures and looked. I passed Mt. Fuji four times and took a few photos while on Shinkansen. Why did I not notice that or mention it in my notes? 

Here it is, you can see it in the top photo and I will write whether I hike or not, the next time I go to Japan. Mt. Fuji is considered scared and has respect in Japanese culture. I think the climbing was banned at a point due to erosion and that's most likely why they require climbers to register. They not only intend to limit the number of hikers but probably want to screen them. I think there's a section in the form which asks about the experience and stuff of that nature. They even have built a website for that and there's lots of shit to go through to be able to do the climb but many do that just to simply say they have climbed Mt. Fuji! I even read that many start early to see the sunrise from the summit(!) something that I hate to do! I always start my hike early but not because I care about the damn sunset! I wonder what would happen when I'm going up and seeing flocks of people coming back down! The other thing is I would like to do it during the off-season and I hope there's no limitation. I would like to do it in late Sep. and then continue with the rest of my journey but all I need to do is to climb and hike as many mountains as possible this summer and fall. I haven't had a good ascend for a long time and that is the only way I can prove to myself and the Japanese that I can do Fuji as well, if I ever decide to. 

(Photo, top: Mt. Fujiyama without snow. This has been taken from the train and you can see the reflection in the window. I think it was taken when I was going back to Tokyo from Nagoya)