Fuji

Fuji

 

Took a drive to visit Mt. Fuji! I felt so nostalgic being on a highway again, but it was weird seeing all the trucks drive on the (slower) left side of the road! There were a few toll ways on the way there, but it was no problem, thanks to ETC (Japan version of American iPass).

On my way there, I also passed up the Naval Air Facility Atsugi base. While driving, I could see a bunch of airplanes, helicopters, and even a few jeeps with soldiers in them. I learned that there are a bunch of American bases in Japan - 84 USFJ facilities to date. The USFJ was formed after World War II, when Japanese Navy and Imperial Army were decommissioned, and the U.S. Armed Forces took over their military bases. I learned that nowadays, Japan doesn’t have an army of their own but instead pays the US for theirs.

The closer we got to Fuji, the higher we drove up the mountains, and the higher we went up, the more my ears would pop! Of course, Fuji was beautiful. We really lucked out, and the weather was perfect for sight-seeing. I took a ton of pictures while I was there from a few different viewpoints (like Yamanaka Ike).

I learned that Fuji is actually an active volcano and hasn’t erupted since 1708. It’s so big that you can see it from Tokyo on a clear day, and one of its bordering cities is Shizuoka (which I could tell because there were Kokko advertisements on billboards nearby, and Kokko is one of the most amazing souvenir sweets for Shizuoka ever, just so you know).

But this was the first time I’d ever been to the mountains before, and to me, I was equally as impressed by the “yama no mura” (mountain villages) that I saw on the way there/back. It was so serene, and so beautiful, and really, I’d never experienced anything like it. It almost felt nostalgic to see such quiet farm life, but also so new and just completely remarkable. Compared to busy Tokyo, a lovely change of pace and scenery like this was just what I needed.

I definitely hope to go back to Fuji. I’ve been told that there are some people who hike it at night, then wait up there, waiting for the perfect photo that they take when the sun rises. If given the opportunity, I would totally be willing to give that a try, but we’ll see how/if it all plays out.