November 16, 2011 Nasati Home page » Music of words » interesting thoughts
"Into the mountains! Everyone wants to rise as high as possible, And no one wants to go down into the valley to look into their hearts.” Jun Takami
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Dear friends! Today's post is dedicated to Fuji, or Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan. The mountain has been loved by poets and artists since ancient times, and since the 20th century a stream of photographers has rushed here, delighting us with stunning photos of Fuji. Not only is Mount Fuji scenic at any time of the year, it is also a sacred site for Buddhists. Therefore, the line of people reaches out to her endlessly.
Fuji height
Height of Mount Fuji in Japan
Many people are interested in the question: what is the height of Mount Fuji? In fact, Mount Fuji is only 3,776 meters high. It is not the highest mountain (compare with Everest), but the Japanese are very proud of Fuji. It is considered an active volcano, although Fuji-san's last eruption was in 1708. The streets of Tokyo (located a hundred kilometers away) were covered with 15 cm of volcanic ash. Since then, Mount Fuji has been sleeping.
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The diameter of the crater is more than 500 meters. And the depth exceeds 200 m. Its peak is ideal; it was formed due to powerful eruptions of 4 earlier volcanoes. The oldest volcano appeared more than 80 thousand years ago, and Fuji - 11 thousand years ago. She was born from fire in one night and, according to legend, can only die in fire. The eruptions of Fuji and nearby mountains lasted for thousands of years, lava flooded mountain rivers and streams, and, as a result, the amazingly beautiful lakes of Fuji appeared. The Five Lakes of Fuji are one of the most picturesque and popular resorts in Japan.
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Mount Fuji: a journey through time
Alexander Meshcheryakov “Trinity Option - Science” No. 9(328), May 4, 2021
Katsushika Hokusai. "South wind in clear weather." From the series “36 views of Fuji” (1830–1833)
On April 17, 2021, the birthday celebration of “TrV-Science” took place, at which our regular author, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Faculty of Humanities of the Institute of Classical Orient and Antiquity of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Japanese specialist Alexander Meshcheryakov,
. We publish the authorized version of his story.
Alexander Meshcheryakov
Fuji is the highest mountain in the Japanese archipelago (its height is 3776 m). It is a giant truncated cone of almost regular shape, which is clearly visible even from places tens of kilometers away. It is not surprising that for many centuries Fuji has made an indelible impression on observers.
However, the significance of Fuji for the Japanese is explained not only by the physical (“objective”) characteristics of this mass. The image of Fuji also carries with it many cultural meanings accumulated over many centuries. Now it seems that Fuji has always been a symbol of Japan. But this is a misleading impression. Although Fuji is usually thought of as a timeless stronghold, the mountain's image has in fact been constantly changing. Time did not age her - she still stood in the same place, her appearance remained almost unchanged. Time affected not so much the mountain itself as it affected the people.
We have information about what the Japanese thought about Fuji from the 8th century. At that time, Fuji was an active volcano, and climbing it was unlikely. The mountain was located far (at a distance of about 450 km) from the cultural center of the country - the capitals Nara and Heian (Kyoto). At that time, the Japanese nobility were fascinated by Taoist ideas, according to which Mount Horai (Chinese: Penglai) was the abode of immortal sages. The Japanese believed that Fuji was Penglai.
Achieving immortality is not an easy task. As proof of this, Fuji began to be depicted as a cylinder furrowed with gorges, on top of which the palace of these sages is located. Thus, from the very beginning, the slopes of Fuji were depicted as inaccessible, and this Fuji had nothing in common with the real Fuji.
At that time there was always smoke hanging over Fuji. Legends appear that this is smoke from the elixir of immortality, burned at the top. The name “Fuji” was written like this: “Without-death.” “Eyewitnesses” reported that they saw celestial women in clouds of volcanic smoke, and at the foot of the mountain they discovered precious stones that had fallen from the curtains of the palace where they lived. The ancient Japanese knew nothing of Freud's doctrine of the convex and concave and believed that female deities lived there. Mountains for Japan are water. Japanese rivers originate in the mountains, and therefore they are “controlled” by female fertility deities.
As time passed, eruptions began to occur less frequently. A strong eruption in ancient times occurred in 1083. After this, the volcano remained relatively calm for several centuries, and the last eruption occurred in 1707. As a result, a local peak, Hoeizan, was formed on the southeastern slope, and Fuji took its final (current) form.
Residents of the capital traveled little at that time. Few of them have seen Fuji in person. The capital's aristocrats imagined not Fuji, but the image of this mountain as it developed in culture. And there was always smoke hovering over this Fuji, it was covered with eternal snow (in fact, at the height of summer the snow cap on Fuji melts). Therefore, when travelers from the capital managed to see Fuji, they were truly amazed. One of them, passing by Fuji in the summer of 1242, noted with undisguised surprise in his travel diary: “The old books say that there is always snow on the top of Fuji, but I don’t see it; they say that there is smoke curling over the mountain, but where is it? Probably, all these legends about celestials are also lies.” And then he writes a poem:
White clouds, driven by the wind along Mount Fuji, look like the sleeves of the robe of the Virgin of Heaven.
Thus, this skeptic could not ignore the information about Fuji that was in his cultural baggage.
The cessation of eruptions has made the mountain more accessible. Now Buddhist pilgrims began to climb it. By this time, Taoist ideas were on the decline, but Buddhist ideas were taking over society. Pilgrims believed that Fuji was not Horai at all, but Mount Sumeru (Sumeru), the center of the Buddhist universe. They discovered a cave on the slopes of Fuji through which you can get to both heaven and hell - as you deserve for your deeds. They began to draw Fuji differently - with three peaks.
Kano Motonobu (1477–1559). "Mandala Fuji"
A painting by Kano Motonobu (1477–1559) depicts a zigzag road leading to the top of Mount Fuji. We see pilgrims heading along it. On the right and left sides of the three-peaked mountain are the Sun and the Moon, giving the picture a corresponding timelessness, which likens Fuji to the world’s Mount Sumeru. On the three peaks of Fuji there are images of three Buddhas: Dainichi (lit. “Big Sun”, Mahavairocana - cosmic, universal Buddha), Amida (lord of heaven) and Yakushi (healer). The fact that Amida Buddha is placed in the center indicates that the road to the top leads to heaven.
If earlier we saw a completely inaccessible “Taoist” mountain, now these peaks of “Buddhist” Fuji are becoming more gentle (although they are much steeper than in reality). The very top of Fuji was likened to a lotus flower (sacred in Buddhism).
The next stage of understanding Fuji occurs during the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867), which settled in Edo (present-day Tokyo), from where the mountain is clearly visible.
For the people of Edo, Mount Fuji was part of the everyday landscape. It's no surprise that they grounded her image. The famous artist Hokusai and his colleagues integrated Fuji into the everyday life of the inhabitants of Edo. Previously, the main characteristics of Fuji were sacredness and immutability; its images fit into the accepted canon, Taoist or Buddhist. Now Fuji acts as a backdrop for the lives of ordinary people: traders, workers, fishermen, and ordinary passers-by. Once again, the slopes of Fuji lost their steepness, but tradition also put pressure on the Edo artists - they were still far from reality.
In the mid-19th century, Japan, which had followed a policy of strict isolationism for more than two centuries, opened some of its ports under pressure from Western countries. Experiencing justified fear of the threat of becoming a colony, the country's leadership is embarking on accelerated modernization. One of its main strategic goals was the construction of the Japanese nation - only the achievement of this goal could ensure the mobilization of the population to solve the grandiose tasks of transforming Japan into a “modern” country. In addition to reforms of a “practical” nature (administrative apparatus, army, education, economics, etc.), activities to create a picture of the world that would be shared by all inhabitants of this country were of great importance. And here Fuji had a huge role to play.
The choice of Fuji as a subject of iconization was due to many reasons. Experiencing a deep inferiority complex towards the West, the Japanese of that time believed that Japan had not created anything man-made that could become a source of national pride. However, the nature of Japan aroused admiration among everyone: both Europeans and the Japanese themselves. Therefore, the inclusion of natural objects in the list of things to be proud of seems completely justified. Japan justified its uniqueness, and every natural object is unique by definition. Especially one like Fuji.
For all Europeans, Fuji truly evoked only a feeling of admiration. The first foreigner to climb Mount Fuji was British diplomat Sir Rutherford Alcock in 1860. The first Russian to climb Mount Fuji was, it seems, the famous botanist and traveler, founder of the Batumi Botanical Garden A. N. Krasnov (1862–1914).
Andrei Nikolaevich's description of Mount Fuji is very eloquent. It clearly shows that Europeans’ admiration for Fuji is due primarily to the fact that they saw in a natural object an analogue of the creation of human hands: “Both an idle tourist, a lover of the beauty of nature, and a dry armchair scientist will be equally amazed by the sight of this mountain - the only one of its kind in the world.” globe. Readers who have ever looked at Japanese products and drawings are probably familiar with its general appearance, since they have probably seen an image of a mountain in the form of a regular truncated cone, the correctness of which casts doubt on the understanding of nature of the artist who painted it. Meanwhile, Mount Fuzi is exactly like that. It is a perfectly regular, flat-topped cone, as if carved by a turner’s hand, rising alone above other lesser mountains.”
All Europeans liked the “correctness” of Fuji’s shape and the symmetry of its slopes. As for the Japanese, you should remember: for them, “symmetry” has never been an indicator of beauty. They valued “naturalness,” and there is no symmetry in it.
Both Krasnov and other foreigners who climbed Mount Fuji described with delight the view that opened up from it. These descriptions did not go unnoticed and gave rise to numerous descriptions of Fuji, which already belonged to the Japanese. Until this time, they had not described the view from Fuji. Pilgrims ascended the mountain, absorbed in their religious experiences, and not in the beauty of the view. As for the poets, in whose poems Fuji appears very often, the canon forbade them to describe the view from the top.
Now Fuji is turning into an object on top of which the Japanese are beginning to hone their eloquence. Japanese authors, however, described Fuji in their own way: from the top of the mountain they saw not just far away - they saw the whole of Japan, and Fuji itself was likened to a sovereign to whom the surrounding mountains bring tribute. Such descriptions turned Fuji into an object of political and national significance. This can be clearly seen in school textbooks, which taught that Fuji is the most beautiful mountain in the world, and its beauty reflects the soul of the Japanese people.
Along with the growth of militaristic sentiments, there is a decisive actualization of the image of Fuji in the official ideology. From a symbol of the country, a symbol of the Japanese people, Fuji easily turns into a nationalist symbol. She is positioned as the embodiment of “masculinity” (that is, belligerence), and it is argued that all humanity looks up to her. In the past tradition, Fuji was feminine, now she has turned into a male warrior, a guardian.
Nevertheless, Japan lost the war that it started. This war deprived the Japanese not only of 3 million lives, but also of many ideals. Anyone who climbed Mount Fuji saw a country burned out by American bombing. But the brutal defeat could not deprive the state of the main symbols of the unity of the Japanese people. It did not deprive the Japanese of their emperor, nor did it deprive them of Mount Fuji, which still towered in the Japanese sky. The American “Flying Fortresses” had no equal in this sky; they turned the country into ruins, but the burned cities and Mount Fuji lived according to different laws. The physical world and the symbolic world existed in different worlds.
The speed with which the recoding of the symbolic object called "Fuji" occurred is amazing. A year after the surrender of Japan, Emperor Showa on November 3, 1946 proclaimed the adoption of a new “peaceful” constitution. On the same day, 20 million brochures entitled “New Constitution - Bright Life” were published, one copy for each family. The brochure, in particular, stated: the emperor has now become a symbol of the unity of the people, just as Fuji symbolizes the natural beauty of Japan, and sakura - the nobility of the Japanese spring.
And now Fuji began to be perceived as a symbol of a new, democratic and peaceful Japan. Historical circumstances have changed, but Fuji has not become any less beautiful. Despite the radical change in political course, Mount Fuji did not lose its “gluing” potential. The mountain remained the same, but now it’s back again - once again! — completely different meanings began to be attached. The symbol has demonstrated that it is hollow, but it cannot remain so. Just a year ago it was filled with militaristic content, but instantly filled with peaceful substance. UNESCO recognized Fuji as a natural site of world significance in 2013, which only cemented its new status.
Mount Fuji - a sacred place in Japan
The Japanese call the mountain respectfully – Fuji-san. This is a sacred place, although now a meteorological station has been built on the top of the mountain at the highest point on the southwestern side of the crater. There is also a Shinto shrine on the mountain. Shinto shrines were built only in the most unusual places, and the top of a high, beautiful mountain is the ideal place for this. By the way, the mountain is the private property of this temple.
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There is a legend that the souls of the dead live in the depths of Fuji; its crater is the gateway to the underworld. The haze from the crater of the volcano is visible from afar. The Japanese claim that this is smoke from a fire, which carefully supports the Spirit of the mountain thanks to the magical elixir of immortality. But the Spirit of the Mountain made a mistake. The Great Ancestor once came to him and asked to spend the night. The spirit of the mountain did not respond to the request, was busy and thereby greatly offended the guest. The Great Ancestor cursed Fuji and said that on this highest mountain, there would always be snow on its top. People will be afraid of the cold and will not be able to go to the top of Mount Fuji to pay respects to the Spirit.
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But people still climb it. The best time of the year is summer. From July 1 to August 31, the paths bordering the mountain are open to all pilgrims. Nowadays getting to the top is much more comfortable; part of the way can be covered by bus, admiring the beautiful scenery. But, having climbed to the top, every person experiences a feeling of gratitude and awe.
Meaning in culture
The distinctive silhouette of a volcano, the top of which is covered with snow for most of the year, is a popular motif in art. The famous mountain landscapes are captured as woodcuts in two series under the same title: 36 Views of Mount Fuji (Hokusai), 36 Views of Mount Fuji (Hiroshige), were created separately by two artists named Hokusai Katsushika and Hiroshige Ando. Hokusai repeated this theme in an illustrated book published in three volumes entitled One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji between 1834 and 1849.
Fuji is also a sacred mountain for followers of Shintoism, as is the female deity Konohana no Sakuyahime no Mikoto. It is considered one of the country's "three sacred mountains", along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku.
Mount Fuji - photo of the most beautiful mountain in Japan
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These landscapes are like paintings. And you don’t even know what is more beautiful - either this mountain or the places surrounding it... Especially in the spring, when the cherry and plum orchards bloom. We are all in a hurry to get somewhere, and the days are flying by... Let's stop and admire these photographs of the magnificent Fuji. After all, only by examining and feeling every blade of grass in the valley, noticing, appreciating and loving everything that surrounds us, can we begin the path upward. And then we will come to the top with a heart overflowing with love.
“Many paths lead to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one peak - love!” Morihei Ueshiba
Flora and fauna of the mountain
The local climate is perfect for the development of flora. Therefore, more than 60% of the territory is covered with forests. In the northern part, conifers characteristic of the Far Eastern zone are common: spruce and fir. Broad-leaved trees are common in the southern part. Here you can find pine, cypress, oak, and maple. Evergreen forests are also common, the most striking representatives of which are the jagged oak and Japanese magnolia. There are also palm trees, ficus, bananas, and other representatives of the tropics. Some trees are over one and a half thousand years old. Some reach a height of 50 m and about 5 m in diameter. It's no wonder that Fuji's flora is considered a real paradise. Even universities and local academies organize special tourist trips for students. It is a great joy for the Japanese to visit such a wonderful place where many trees grow. In the forests you can find Japanese macaques, sable, weasel, mountain antelope, and short-legged wolf.
Such a cute macaque can be seen in the hot springs on the slopes of the mountain
A real fairy tale opens up before travelers after crossing the upper boundaries of the forest zone. Here you can stumble upon rhododendron and beautiful alpine meadows. Some herbs and plants are still used in medicine for the manufacture of medicines, as well as the preparation of aromatic oils.
Photo of Mount Fuji in summer
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Climbing Mount Fuji: routes
Fujisan became famous far beyond Japan. People come here for various reasons. For example, some people simply take photographs, others paint pictures, and others go for inspiration. But there are always many climbers trying to conquer Fuji. The best time for climbing is mid-summer. During this period, rescue centers and mountain huts are opened. Here you can not only take a nap, but also buy food and drinks. This will definitely come in handy for every traveler, because climbing the mountain with a heavy backpack will not be easy. It is much better to replenish supplies while moving towards the top.
Crowds of people climb Mount Fuji
In addition, from mid to late summer it is relatively safe here. Already in autumn, snow begins to cover the top, and the layer can be very thick, so travelers are not recommended to tempt fate. Many routes are closed during snowfalls.
The mountain is conventionally divided into 10 levels, starting from 5 there are 4 routes. You can get to level 5 directly along the toll road, which starts from Lake Kawaguchiko. On the side of the lake there is a route along the territory of which mountain huts are distributed. The main number of trails falls on it. Even an unprepared traveler in good physical shape can cope with the route, but the journey can last as long as 8 hours, not counting rest. The descent is faster and takes about 5 hours.
Not only people climb Mount Fuji, but also bulldozers. Separate routes are provided for them. With their help, goods are delivered to the mountain, which are then sold in mountain huts. They can also quickly evacuate people. You cannot walk on such roads, as this poses a serious danger: the stones are not reinforced, they may begin to crumble. Nevertheless, there are reckless people on bicycles who often travel along such routes. One should not follow their example, because the steepness is very high, and stones bouncing off the wheels pose a threat to climbers who choose neighboring routes that lie next to the routes for bulldozers. It is noteworthy that about 30% of those visiting Fuji are foreigners.
Photo of Mount Fuji in spring
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I hope you enjoyed the photo of the picturesque Mount Fuji-san, found out how tall Japan’s highest mountain Fuji is, but our country also has unique places and stunning mountains. I would like to offer it very much with pleasure!! a beautiful selection of photographs of the Altai Mountains.
How Fuji got its name
The etymology of the name Fuji still remains unknown. In Japan, Fujisan symbolizes antiquity; the mountain was sacred to both monks and ordinary citizens. Supposedly, Fuji literally translates to “immortality.” This is confirmed by one of the sources dating back to the 10th century AD. Records survive dating back centuries to the Edo Dynasty. According to them, the name of the mountain comes from an ear of rice and is associated with slimness.
There is an opinion that Fuji received its name thanks to the Ainu people who once lived here. This name can be associated with fire. However, a number of linguists refutes this version, believing that the name can be associated with a rainbow.
The majestic beauty of Japan's highest mountain
Modern Chinese characters, which are used in the current writing of the Japanese and appear in the name of the mountain, are associated with wealth and nobility. However, their semantic load is small, since they can rather be classified as additional words.
The main version suggesting that Fuji means “immortality” comes from the tale of the old man Taketori. However, folk etymology claims that the name is directly related to the word “incomparable.” There is also a claim that the etymology goes back to the word “inexhaustible.” The version about the connection of the name with the spikelet was created by the scientist Hirata Atsutane.
The association of the name Mount Fuji with fire came from the missionary John Botchelor. However, Japanese linguists refute this version, citing phonetic development. The connection with the wisteria tree was found by toponymist Kanji Kagami. He also suggested that a parallel could be drawn with the word rainbow. The phrase “Mount Fuji” is redundant, but this is how Western sources prefer to write it. The Japanese themselves consider this kind of reading to be incorrect. There are many spellings of the name of the volcano, but they are used only in poetry. For example, Fuyo-ho means "lotus peak", most likely due to Fujiyama's association with the lotus flower. The name Fugaku is also found, which suggests that Fuji is a proper name.
Safety and health
Climbing Mount Fuji is not an easy task. They say that a person who does not climb Mount Fuji is a fool, and a person who climbs it twice is twice a fool. If you decide to take on this adventure, you should be prepared.
The ascent takes 6 to 10 hours, while the descent can take 3 to 5 hours. Therefore, when planning your trip, take into account your health, stamina and readiness for physical activity.
Due to the difference in pressure, malaise or even altitude sickness may occur at altitude. Symptoms of mountain sickness: difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, malaise, lack of appetite and others. To avoid this, follow these tips.
- Upon arrival at the 5th station, give your body a few hours to get used to the pressure.
- Purchase a container of oxygen in advance at retail outlets at the beginning of the climbing trails, which will greatly help you if you are diagnosed with altitude sickness. At altitude, oxygen may no longer be available for sale.
- Choose a comfortable, slow and steady pace that you can stick to.
- Take breaks along the way, but not for too long, so as not to freeze.
- Constantly replenish the water balance in your body.
- Breathe deeply.
If you feel unwell, postpone the ascent and go down. If it is very bad, contact one of the medical care centers.
In case of an accident or serious injury, call 110 or 119!
But don't be scared! Follow all precautions and you will not be in any danger. Climbing the mountain is, of course, not a walk through the city, it requires strength and readiness, but you will not regret it when you admire the surrounding nature from above.
Weather on Fuji-san
Given the difference in altitude and pressure, the weather conditions at the beginning of the journey and at the top are noticeably different. Especially in the afternoon, the weather becomes unstable and you can get into a thunderstorm. Thunder can overtake you at any point along the way, and safety precautions strongly recommend that you find shelter during this time.
The difference in temperature is about 0.6o per 100 meters of altitude, so the air temperature at the foot and at the top can differ by 20o. At the top, the temperature is low enough for snow to fall, even in summer, and due to the frequent strong winds, the drop in temperature is felt much more strongly.
When planning to climb a mountain, it is worth going to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) website and checking the weather forecast, which is usually quite accurate in Japan.
Necessary caution
Not far from the top you can see gliders soaring. Such flights are, in principle, dangerous, since Mount Fuji is “famous” for gusty winds and fog. Also, some tourists mistake the wide ruts leading up the slope for hiking trails. In fact, these dangerous routes are intended for bulldozers that deliver provisions to Yamagoya and carry down injured tourists. Walking along such a road, despite the apparent straightness of the route, is dangerous. It is not compacted, and the stones can injure not only you, but also travelers walking along the hiking trails. Throwing trash along the entire route is prohibited. The shops on the slopes will only sell you water in exchange for an empty bottle.
Skyscraper Carrot Tower (Sangenzaya, Setagaya district)
Since this site is somewhat removed from the city center and located in the west of the capital, the buildings do not block the view from here. Hirugatake (elevation 1,673 m) is the highest peak in the Tanzawa Mountain Range, as well as the highest peak in Kanagawa Prefecture. It can be seen directly below Fuji. Fuji seems to be looming over him. You can also take a photo of Diamond Fuji from here.
Any Fujiman will easily determine the direction from which you photographed the mountain, depending on which peak of the Tanzawa mountain range is visible in the foreground
A mountain once visible from everywhere
Thanks to its symmetrical shape, the silhouette of Mount Fuji is distinguished by its beauty and majesty from any vantage point.
The mountain has historical significance because, being the highest peak in Japan, it has long served as an object of worship. Fuji was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, and is extremely popular among tourists visiting Japan and its name is known throughout the world. Ukiyo-e artists Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige created numerous prints and paintings of views of Fuji from Edo, now Tokyo. To this day, the words "Fuji" and "Fujimi", meaning "fuji view", appear in the names of many places in the city, suggesting that not so long ago the mountain could be seen from many places in Tokyo. However, buildings continue to rise, and good vantage points are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Where can you go today to admire Fuji without leaving Tokyo? We asked Tashiro Hiroshi, a “connoisseur of Fuji views,” to pick out some of the best spots for us.
"My way"
Bakers rise early, and Hashimuki's habit of getting up early also came in handy in his photographic work. He was used to leaving home for work early in the morning, so getting up to photograph Mount Fuji at sunrise was easy. During breaks at work, he checked the camera's weather apps for live feeds of critical angles of the mountain. With his work schedule, he had plenty of time to photograph at dusk and on weekdays, so he often ventured to his favorite shooting locations if he knew interesting cloud formations might appear. His affection for Fuji grew.
Just three years after Hashimuki began photographing Fuji, one of his photographs was selected as one of the Tokyo Camera Club's top 10 for 2021. The club runs one of the leading photo sites in Japan, and inclusion in the Top 10 is a great honor; the most popular photographs of the year are included there, this is an indicator of success for a novice photographer.
As a result, Hashimuki was often asked to publish articles and photographs in camera magazines or photography tutorials, and to speak at events sponsored by camera manufacturers. His debut calendar, New Views of Mount Fuji, which goes on sale in 2021, has been a success, and he plans to publish a collection of photographs taken this summer. In just eight years of work, this photographer, for whom photography is not his main profession, has achieved impressive results.
A photo of the 2021 summer fireworks display with the silhouette of Mount Fuji in the background was selected as one of the top ten photos of the year by Tokyo Camera Club
One of the most famous views, cherry blossoms and a five-story pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Crowds of people flock here in search of the perfect photo spot, but Hashimuki takes the famous landscape to a whole new level.
As his reputation grew, Hashimuki began to have more opportunities to show his work in exhibitions and sell collections of photographs. Will his pictures disappear from social networks? “Unthinkable,” says Hashimuki. “I can’t imagine not sharing the fruits of my creative efforts.”
The young photographer continues: “Countless photographers have chosen Mount Fuji as the subject of their work, and few will surpass Ooyama Yukio, the master of this genre. That's why I want to build a reputation by going my own way through social media. It was this approach that allowed me to achieve success so quickly and expanded my capabilities. Plus, sharing photos that I happily take in real time allows my followers to share experiences that wouldn't be possible when visiting an exhibition or flipping through a collection of photos."
Hashimuki thinks that without social media he might not have pursued photography for so long (© Nippon.com)
Interesting facts about the mountain
There are a few notable points:
- You can take pictures everywhere here, but littering is strictly prohibited.
- The Japanese, who care about nature, even installed dry toilets.
- Everyone is given a special bag in which to place garbage.
The majesty of the mountain's peak is awe-inspiring.
Hikers are also asked to pick up any trash they see on the mountain. However, travelers have the opportunity to throw away one bottle without contents if it was purchased at one of the local stores. This is not recklessness at all, but a completely justified step, because the bottles sold in local mountain huts are made of special plastic that decomposes in the light. Dry toilets on the slopes of Fuji are paid and cost 200 yen. Everything about them is of the highest standard, they even have heated seats. Such toilets operate thanks to solar panels, so the operation is completely automatic.
At the top of Fuji-san
Along the way you can see Shinto shrines and Buddhist statues, and the peak is not only a geographical point, but also a symbolic sacred place.
At the top you can walk around the central crater (this will take about an hour). The road around is called "Ohatimeguri". The crater has 8 peaks, the highest of which is Kengamine - this also takes about 1 hour. Pay attention to your health and time before setting out.
There are also vending machines at the top with drinks (much more expensive than normal prices in Japan) and food, and a post office - anyone can send a postcard from the highest point in Japan!
