Wedding anniversary celebration on the top of Mt. Fuji

Toshiko and I climbed Mr. Fuji at last ! Today I should report our wonderful trip to this mountain. Can you prepare for your mind for my detailed report which tells you about this exciting story.

On 4, August Toshiko drove to my apartment house in Nagoya in order to carry our clothes and tools for climbing . We started from Nagoya at 6:00 a.m. early in the next morning. After 4 hours and half's drive on express high way, we reached Kawaguchiko Lake. Now we can see very large figure of Mt. Fuji nearby. The first impression of this mountain is how dark this mountain is. This mountain is covered with volcanic ashes. This volcanic ashes is black like charcoal. Can you imagine this curious material? Tomorrow we will attack this huge mountain ! This afternoon we floated a boat on the lake, tasted several dishes in this district and had a wonderful and calmful time in the hot spring. We two spent a happy life fully this day.

Next morning we went to the halfway of this mountain ( 5 gome) by bus, and began to climb on foot. Ar first we surprised with too many people. We could see people everywhere like city streets. We Japanese usually say "Good afternoon" to each another at the big mountain. I like this custom very much, but here in Mt. Fuji nobody exchanges greetings. We saw many bad manner other people , because they are amateur about mountaineering.

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Next , we were suprised with the thin concentration of oxygen. After severe exercise, several breaths can usually recover our shortness of breath on 0 m sea level. What's happened to our bodies here. I took ten or twenty frequent breaths, but I could not recover at all. They sell oxygen cartridge at the mountain cottage. But they are very expensive here. Of course, we did not buy such an expensive one. Here we could not see any trees. We could enjoy our eyes with small alpine plants, small or tiny flowers. This big mountain was covered with clouds, so we could walk without strong sun beam trouble. After about 6 hours climbing we reached the mountain cottage ( 8/10 way of this mountain). This cottage was also crowded with 200 people. We should sleep in the very narrow space.

Next morning about 0:30 a.m. staff of this cottage shouted " Please get up if you want to see the sunrise at the top of mountain". We were astonished with the strange but beautiful scenery. The path to the top of mountain was filled with many people. We could see many electric lighs in a line before and after us. If we stopped walking, many people after us should stop on the slope, too. Tremendously large number of stars softened our hearts, and I had never seen so many shooting stars. About 3:30 a.m. we could get the figure of red shrine gate ( torii in Japanese).

Here we got to the top of Mt Fuji ( 3776m) ! "Hurrah (Banzai in Japanese)! "How many years we have been waiting for this moment ! Many eyes including the people surrounding our couple waited for the fantastic sunrise (4:50 a.m.). Please catch our another deep emotion in your eyes by the photograph attached to this mail.

Then we enjoyed the hiking to the top of mountain. We felt very cold, and we found out frost on the groud and small snowy valley in the crater. This walk took almost an hour to go around the crater. Can you observe the shadow of mountain top on the cloud sea in the photograph "shadow of Mt.Fuji"? I forgot to notice this phenomenon, but Toshiko caught it without any explanation to me in the photograph. Perhaps you want to hear from me about our impression of Mt. Fuji. We loved Mt. Fuji very much, but we would not like to climb it again. Mt Fuji is very great and beautiful to see apart from the separate place. At any rate we realized our long time dream.

Perhaps you have a question, how did we celebrate our wedding memorial day? We brought a small bottle of wine to the top of mountain, and we drank it a bit at meteorological station for our celebration. But I could not carry out my performance for celebration this day, because this place was too crowded with people to express my heart solemnly. So I opened my mouth to tell a special message to Toshiko after going back to the hotel before dinner table. "Many years ago you asked me "If we both will be alive again in next life after our death , do you want to be my partner again?". At that time I did not believe next life. So I kept silence and did not answer this question. But now I decided to say clearly to you. I would like to become your partner again even in the next life." She smiled at me happily and said with low voice " Thank you". Japanese husbands are always very shy to their wives. Old Japanese husband never says to his wife "I love you." So this is my best present to her in my life, I believe.

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