Friday, February 27, 2015

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek

Nagoya - Mt. Fuji - Tokyo self-guided solo tour
August 07-13, 2014

"Each and every master, regardless of the era or the place, heard the call and attained harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit - love." - Morihei Ueshiba

My 2nd visit to the Land of the Rising Sun (1st visit was in May 2013), 36th solo backpacking trip, 39 countries visited so far and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure.

The "Land of the Rising Sun" is a country where the past meets the future. Japanese culture stretches back millennium, yet has also adopted (and created) the latest modern fashions and trends. Japan is a stratovolcanic archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which together comprise about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes and tsunami, having the highest natural disaster risk in the developed world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan

Seasons in Japan are scheduled annually as follows;
Winter: December, January, February
Spring: March, April, May
Summer: June, July, August
Autumn: September, October, November


6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (snow cap during excellent weather)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (visa stamp)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (Chubu Airport train station)

This another race against time, very short backpacking researched in somehow detailed manner has a compressed itinerary designed as follows: 

August 07 Thursday: 2025H ETA Nagoya Chubu (Central Japan) International Airport Departure 
August 08 Friday: Nagoya day-tour (Nagashima Spaland, Nagoya Castle)
August 09 Saturday: Nagoya to Mt. Fuji bus trip, Mt. Fuji 6th Station
August 10 Sunday: Mt. Fuji night trek (hard storm occurred), train trip to Tokyo
August 11 Monday: Kamakura Temples and Forest hike to Daibutsu
August 12 Tuesday: Tokyo City Tour (Gyoen to Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku to Shibuya walk)
August 13 Wedneday: 1230H ETD Tokyo Narita International Airport Departure

TOTAL BUDGET : USD1,015.15 = PHP44,159 (22.13% went to plane ticket)

Basic Words to Remember;
hello - konnichiwa;   thank you - arigatō;   I love you - suki desu;   goodbye - Sayonara!
sorry - gomen nasai;   please - kudasai;   excuse me - Sumimasen!
toilet - toire;   train station - Tetsudō no eki;   airport - kuukou

timezone - +0900H UTC;   capital - Tokyo city;   language - Japanese
currency - yen 99 JPY = 43.5 PHP = 1 USD
visa - Filipino's need to apply 1st before travel (how to apply Tourist Visa in Japan?

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (Nagoya Ecohotel)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (Nagashima Station)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek
(Kamakura Great Buddha)

Interesting Facts about Mount Fuji:
1. Elevation: 12,388 feet (3,776 meters), Location: Honshu Island, Japan, Coordinates: 35.358 N / 138.731 W
2. Mount Fuji is the 35th most prominent mountain in the world. It has a circumference of 78 miles and a diameter of 30 miles. Its crater is 820 feet deep and has a surface diameter of 1,600 feet.
3. Mount Fuji is called Fuji-san in Japanese. The origin of Fuji's name is disputed. Some say it derives from the Ainu language used by the Japanese aboriginal people and means "everlasting life." Linguists, however, say that the name is from the Yamato language and refers to Fuchi, the Buddhist fire goddess.
4. The first known ascent of Mount Fuji was by a monk in 663. After that the peak was regularly climbed by men, but women were not allowed on the summit until the Meiji Era in the late 19th century. The first known Westerner to climb Fuji-san was Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1860. The first white woman to ascend Fuji was Lady Fanny Parkes in 1867.
5. Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano with a towering symmetrical volcanic cone. The mountain formed in four phases of volcanic activity which began 600,000 years ago. Mount Fuji's last eruption occurred from December 16, 1707 to January 1, 1708.
6. Fuji-san has long been a sacred mountain. The native Ainu revered the great peak. Shintoists consider the peak sacred to the goddess Sengen-Sama, who embodies nature, while the Fujiko sect believes the mountain is a being with a soul. A shrine to Sengen-Sama is on the summit. Japanese Buddhists believe the mountain is the gateway to a different world. Mount Fuji, Mount Tate, and Mount Haku are Japan's "Three Holy Mountains."
7. Mount Fuji is the most climbed mountain in the world with over 100,000 people trekking to the summit every year. Unlike many sacred mountains, people make pilgrimages to climb the peak.


6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (night to summit)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (night to summit)

6-days Revisiting Summer Japan for Mt. Fuji (3,776masl) Solo Trek (descend)

Nagoya Chubu International Airport arrival at night; 
Cebu Pacific flight arrived almost exactly as per schedule. I arrived 1730H and immediately walked fast to immigration lane. Central Japan (Nagoya Chubu) International Airport (NGO) immigration officer I encountered was somehow relax. After less than a minute, I was in full smile going outside and looking for the train bound to Nagoya Station where where my hostel was just 100m walk-away.

Anyways, I divided this wonderful journey into different set of posts to be more specific on its content;




2 comments:

  1. awww.. sana matuloy kami this july :)
    keeping fingers crossed...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matuloy ka ba akyat Mt Fuji sa July. Aakyat din ako, july 16,2015. Pero di pa ako naka apply visa. Mag isa lang ako. Magreresearch pa ako about mt fuji kasi wala talagang idea paano pumunta doon.

      Delete

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