Gaijin Girl: Stories of a Curly-Haired Sensei by Beth Matuska

Author:Beth Matuska [Matuska, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-08-14T21:00:00+00:00

How could I talk about the geological wonders of Japan and fail to mention Mt. Fuji? Well, because I actually didn't go there. Perhaps I have too many excuses as to why I didn't do the obligatory climb of Mt Fuji- my knee hurt, too busy, too expensive- but the main reason was that everyone climbs it. Had I gone, I would have oohed and ahhed at the sight of the sunrise from the top, surrounded by hundreds of other climbers, but to tell the truth, I would rather have climbed a smaller, less famous mountain that I could enjoy by myself or with a few friends.

I did, however, get a view of Mt. Fuji on two different occasions. The first was the first New Year's I decided to spend in Tokyo. It was the year that Tokyo Sky Tree opened, and I decided to go up to the viewing deck. Big mistake. The opening of a new landmark attraction in any Japanese city is met with huge crowds normally, but when it is a new landmark in Tokyo? During the New Year's holiday? The wait time was around two hours. Two hours in a line that began around the block from the tower. Of course, since so many places I visited had a wait time, I was prepared. There were several new books loaded on my Kindle, and the time passed quickly as the line slowly zig-zagged down the street and through the building.

Finally, it was my chance to go up. The first level offered a lovely view of Tokyo through the early-afternoon smog. The sky directly above the city had a distinct yellow tinge, though there weren't any clouds, and the observation deck was high enough to provide a view of Mt. Fuji in the distance. I know that it was Mt. Fuji, because there were labels at many of the windows telling visitors what could be seen in each direction. Thank goodness I had thought to bring my telephoto lens, as my eyes just weren't good enough to make it out. The lens captured a tiny speck of the beautiful volcano, peeking up at the edge of the horizon. That was my first glimpse of Fuji.

The second and final time I viewed the famous Mt. Fuji was during my last vacation in Japan. For part of my Golden Week vacation in 2017, I decided to visit Shizuoka, a city located near the base of Mt. Fuji. The area held several points of attraction for me- beaches, mountain temples, and of course, Fuji. I was staying in an area with famed views of the volcano, and was looking forward to doing some photography.

Taking the train was always my favorite way to travel in Japan. For long distances, the shinkansen, or bullet train, was comfortable and spacious, with twice the leg room of the average economy airline seat. Of course, during a holiday week, seats filled up quickly and the best way to get on board was to pay more for a reserved seat.

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