I live in Tokyo. I travel on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to the western cities (e.g. Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka) of Japan quite often. In a particularly busy week last year I traveled to and from the Kansai region four times within seven days. Shinkansen is quite indispensable.
When I was a kid, traveling on the Shinkansen was a magical experience. As the train leaves the Tokyo station, and passes through Odawara and Atami, I would start looking expectantly through the window, waiting for Mt. Fuji to emerge in its magnificent appearance.
Mt. Fuji is quite arguably the most fascinating and awe-inspiring mountain in Japan, and looking at the rocky apparition was the highlights of my travels in childhood.
Nowadays I am busy doing this and that on the train, and rarely gaze at Mt. Fuji for a prolonged time. The trains are now equipped with WiFi. Otherwise I am deep asleep, and do not notice the passage of the heavenly mountain.
Even on these prosaic days I do sometimes glance at the most famous mountain in Japan, and the magic of childhood days returns to this insensitive soul.
5 comments:
I want to go there someday. I love mountains. I do think that our digitalised world has caused us to miss out on some of the simpler things in life.
I sometimes travel on the Shinkansen to Osaka where my mother lives now. I still stick to the window of the train to look Mt.Fuji like the sensitive fresh boy. After the appearance passes out of sight entirely, I start reading or sleeping in peace.
It's a kind of obsession that flew down to me when I looked the mountain for the first time. The snowy rising top and wide foot took my breath away, and I was completely caught off my guard at the age of 18.
Since then I always stand ready " Here it is approaching. Keep full sight of Mt.Fuji ! "
I used to work at the company where is located in Kanagawa near Atsugi City. On a sunny day, my collegue and I sometimes mentioned about Mt.Fuji. "Fuji-san is so beautiful today. You should see it!" like this. One day, seeing Mt.Fuji a supervisor who is in his mid-50s said to me. "This mountain has always been there. But, somehow we can't see it without the intention to look."
It certainly seemed to be true, come to think of it.
Now I live in Tokyo, I have tried to scope Mt.Fuji far in the distance.
I love mountains, too. In my undergraduate days, I watched Daimonji-yama - sometimes while admiring the moon.
Now I watch Asama-yama. the mountain simply gives atmosphere to heal or purify my soul …
but yes, Mt.Fuji's power of existence is really beyond any stretch of our imagination.
Post a Comment