The Tale of the Trekking to the Tall Tail

Yesterday we went on another field trip with the class. This one was about an hour from Tokyo by train, in the Kawagawa prefecture. When I found out that the trip wasn't mandatory and that it involved trekking a big mountain I was tempted to stay home instead, but I decided to go since the weather was perfect and the almost the whole class was going. My main concern though was that I still lack a jacket, and it isn't usually all that warm and cozy up on a mountain summit.

The mountain's name is Takaosan. (高尾山) which means "Tall Tail mountain". About 2.5 million people climb it every year, since it's easily accessible and has incredible views of Mount Fuji on one side, and the metropolis of Tokyo on the other. Despite being overly crowded it is completely litter-free.

A good start for any mountain trekker; A quick breakfast at Yoshinoya.

The moments when you realize that Tokyo is a never-ending cityscape is when you are leaving it. Even though I spent one hour in a train going *away* from Tokyo, all that was visible on both sides were buildings, roads, bridges and vehicles. The only hint of nature was Mount Fuji in the far background. When we finally arrived at the station near the mountain, we were greeted by both nature and... well, a billion other japanese tourists who also got the idea of climbing this thing. The actual ascend to the top took about 2 hours, on a waaaay too narrow pathway with waaaay too many people on it. An interesting feature is the safety railings along the path. There are always fences or some kind of protective 'wall' on spots where you could accidentally fall and break a leg or something -- But, on places where you could actually fall down 50 metres or places where you could be smashed into pieces there were no railings whatsoever. A japanese person's worst nightmare is dying an unhonourable death. So, me and my friends had this theory that it's "OK" to die if you die in an extreme situation; like falling to your death from a mountain. However, if you just fatally slip then there would be nothing to brag about in the afterlife. Who knows? =)

Some kind of mountainish... guardian... statues. They were placed everywhere from the ground to the summit.

After reaching about 80% of the mountain, my plan backfired on me! Since I don't have the luxury of owning a jacket, I stocked up on the warmest clothing I had -- including a thick, long winterscarf and gloves. Although the sun began to scorch us, and you get very warm while going uphill for hours... So instead of freezing my arse off 600 metres up like I thought I would, I was instead on the verge of burning up. However, none of this mattered when I saw the first glimt of the most beautiful mountain in the world through the trees. Clear blue sky, no wind at all, and there stood Mount Fuji before me. It was miles and miles away, but its sheer size and magnificence made it seem like it's right there.

Shadow of the Colossus. Fujisan is the most photographed and drawn mountain in the world, and it is frequently labaled as "The most beautiful mountain the world". Legend says that when a really beautiful woman climbs it, Fujisan will encloud itself because of jealousy. This goes way back when women weren't allowed to climb it, since that would ruin the view for everyone who was watching the mountain from afar.

Once we reached the summit of Takaosan we had a picknick! Yay! The koreans had made sushi, sandwiches and snacks for everyone. Needless to say, the unmannered (us, the westerners) people dug in! There's something special about having a delicious meal on top of mountain, covered with autumn colours such as red and gold, with Fujisan as a silent observer in the background. It felt surreal, and I made myself a promise that I will climb Mt. Fuji next year. I just hope it doesn't decide to erupt while I'm there... it is an active volcano after all!

I've never been fond of nature. Actually, I got quite sick of it back home. I'm just more comfortable in a big mess such as Tokyo. However, Japan is utterly beautiful in autumn. There is such a cool vividety of colours to be found. Add a clear blue sky and Fuji as a backdrop and you have paradise.