"The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"

Japan's highest mountain, seen in the
hollow of the "Great Wave Off Kanagawa" by the
woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika is the most
famous in his series,"Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji,"
a collection of woodblock prints depicting
"Fuji san" in its many moods and
rightfully considered one of the
great art works of ukiyo-e.

Artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige
were perhaps among the first to depict, in
woodblock prints, something that Japanese had
known for centuries, that the "face" of "Fuji san"
was an ever changing one, depending on the
season and locale from which it was seen.

On clear days, "Fuji san" is visible from
many of the surrounding prefectures; here, its
crest is seen through the haze of a Fall sky
from Tokyo Tower.

Its name, according to some, comes from the
Ainu word "futchi" meaning fire and to that
is added the Japanese word for mountain,
"san," hence "Fuji san."

There is another, different word in Japanese,
also pronounced "san," which is an honorific
automatically attached to the surnames or even
given names of people, denoting respect.

It is of course coincidental but to many in Japan,
"Fuji san" is held in the same regard as that
acknowledged by the honorific "san"
which seems quite appropriate.

Considered to be one of the most beautiful
conical volcanos in the world, Fuji san is
the monarch of Japan's mountains, rising
above the clouds to a height of 12,388 feet.

At its base, it forms an almost perfect circle,
stretching 22 to 25 miles from East to West
and the same distance from North to South.

Fuji san has probably been the subject of more
paintings, more photographs and more poems
than any mountain in the world and perhaps
the explanation for this is that the "view"
(as Hokusai put it) or the "mood" of the
mountain itself is always changing.

It changes with the time of day, with the
seasons, with the temperature or atmospheric
conditions so that no matter how many times
one sees Fuji san, it is always different!

Basho, the 17th century haiku master, while
gazing at the mountain across the waters
of Lake Kawaguchi was inspired to write
the following verse. Because of the mist,
Fuji san seemed to change every minute
and Basho wrote:

On Kawaguchi's shore I muse,
While Fuji through the changing mist
Presents all hundred views.

It is not only the woodblock artist or the
photographer or poet who sees the eternal
beauty of this now silent volcano, it is also
the passenger on a speeding train who catches
a glimpse of it from his window, the tourist
who comes to appreciate why it was on his
"must see" itinerary, the farmer who sees its
reflection in the water of his rice paddy and the
more than 200,000 everyday folk, thirty percent
of whom are non Japanese, who come to honor
Fuji san by making the climb each year.

Although there are climbers all year round,
the best time to make the ascent of Fuji san
is during the official climbing season, the two
month period between July 1 and August 31.

There are six popular routes to the summit,
each divided into ten stations but most climbers
take a bus to station five and begin the climb
from there. Depending on which trail is
taken, the summit can be reached in
from five to nine hours.

The descent, through ankle deep volcanic ash
much of the way, is more of a pell-mell downward
dash lasting three to five hours.

Some time ago (when my step was a bit
springier and my hair had not a hint of gray),
I too joined in this homage to "Fuji san," reaching
the volcano's crest just in time to witness
a most glorious sunrise!

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