Tokyo: For a year, the peak of Mount Fuji’s iconic Japanese has been forbidden because of Coronavirus, but now pedestrians flocked to catch a spectacular sunrise on the clouds.
The Simetrical Slope Volcano actively closed to the public last summer due to a pandemic, and only reopened this month.
In the early hours of recent days, more than 100 people gathered at the top of the holy mountain, which was limited to ice and snow which was dangerous for most of the year.
“Fuji is always respected.
This is a mountain which is a worship object,” said Takeo Tokunari, a 34-year-old pedestrian.
“Even though I’m not too religious, I feel purified by coming here, somehow.” Fuji-san, as is known in Japanese, is a classic symbol of the country which is currently hosting the Tokyo Olympics which is postponed by the virus.
Cycling events continue continuously, with steep climbing from race long-distance roads that are challenging even the most suitable athletes in the hot Japanese summer.
Mount 3,776 meters (12,388 feet) is about two hours from the center of Tokyo by train.
But it can be seen miles around, and have been enshrined in countless Japanese art works, including the world-famous “big wave” of Hususai.
Right after 4:30 a.m., after a long hike night and a short break on the mountain slopes, pedestrians were treated to a magnificent view of the sunrise.
The peak climber can watch it break through the cloud behind the traditional “Tori” gate on the slopes of the mountain.
“I have climbed other mountains, but Mount Fuji is special,” said Haruka Fujimori, a 23-year-old flight attendant.
“This is a volcano that is not connected to other mountains, it stands alone with gracefully in the landscape, I feel beautiful.” Mizuki Ogawa, also 23, told AFP at the summit that Climbing Fuji had become a personal challenge.
“In my daily life and at work, I sometimes experience a difficult situation that makes me lose confidence in myself,” he said.
“So I challenged myself to climb Mount Fuji to try to get my confidence again.” But while the mountain is amazing, it is also dangerous.
The climbing route from the fifth station on the slopes and above is only open from the beginning of July to September.
The rest of the mountain year is considered too dangerous to be closed and the lodges and toilets on the climbing route are closed to prevent prospective pedestrians.
But it doesn’t always stop people, and in October 2019 a man dies after falling into the mountain while flowing immediately.
Fuji last erupted in 1707, and in the meantime has not shown signs of life in the past few decades, experts say the eruption can take a shower with ash and force hundreds of thousands to be evacuated.
But at this time, it was the preservation of morning adventurers like Chikako Kubo, 29.
“There is something fresh and divine: the sunrise is the beginning, the opportunity to take stock and start something new,” he said.