ASCENDING MT. FUJI - JULY 1st- JULY 2nd, 2024
SUN SPOT AND DOTS
A Hiker on the Yoshida Trail, 6th Station
The ancient people of Japan worshipped Fujisan, specifically the volcanic rock which had been found at sites of worship. Once Buddhism arrived to Japan, those that practiced believed the peak to be the Pure Land.
On July 2nd, the ascent in the early morning started at 2:00am with nearly horizontal rain at times and extremely low visibility. In front of myself, the only thing I could see at times was the blood red lava rock, and the headlamps of others hikers in the far distance.
One of the last Tori Gates near the 9th Station. With visibility so low near the peak, nobody was identifiable. All I could see were souls, everyone was the same, pushing towards the top.
Towards the summit, the hikers were back to back. Anyone who hesitated to slip during the high winds were immediately met by those behind them attempting to swiftly pass.
At the top, it was overcast until the very last moment. The rising sun perfectly rose between the low fog and the high clouds, while the haze allowed everyone to see the rising sun as a perfect circle. Everyone started screaming and cheering and everyone got very emotional, including me. It felt as if we were at the top of the world, letting every person who made the pilgrimage get a small glimpse of the pure land.
