Sayonara

As I sit making my final blog entry from my month in Japan, I know already that I will miss this country very much. The people that I have met and the places that I have been fortunate enough to visit will stay with me for my lifetime. It's been a life-changing experience, and the final days have been nothing short of extraordinary.

On Tuesday evening before setting out for Mount Fuji, I took an opportunity to set out for the futuristic man-made island of Odaiba. After a transfer from the Tokyo Metro onto the exceptionally pleasant Yurikakomome line, the monorail takes you right under the Rainbow Bridge into the island city. Once at Odaiba, the line completes a loop around several key sections of the island, including the Fuji TV building and Telecom Center. My first stop was initially to try out the famous O-Edo Onsen Monogatari, a natural hot spring Onsen on Odaiba. However, I have learned that in Japan, there are many cultural differences ranging from the polite to the taboo. In my case, I have a small tattoo on my left shoulder and, in Japan, tattoos are traditionally indicators that the person is a member of the Yazuka, or Japanese mafia (regardless that I am obviously a foreigner). Although the folks at the Onsen were very polite about it, I was unable to enter. Fortunately, I was able to experience a private Onsen at the hotel that I stayed at over my three day Mt. Fuji excursion.

The real jewel of Odaiba is the breathtaking Stream of Starlight ferris wheel that is part of Palette Town. At night, the entire structure becomes a big fiber-optic masterpiece and takes patrons high above the city to enjoy exceptional views of Tokyo. Passing through Palette Town, I went to the Stream of Starlight through the Toyota Showcase Room, which highlights new versions of the cars as well as prototypes of future designs. As an interesting footnote, there are many different makes of cars from manufacturers like Toyota or Honda that I've never even seen let alone heard of in America. In-car GPS also seems to be a staple here - and who could argue against one in an auto labyrinth like Tokyo? After purchasing my ￥900 ticket, I opted to wait 20 minutes in line for a special completely clear (from floor to ceiling) car to get a really good view of everything. Indeed, it was a pleasant way to spend my last late night in the city as I took a moment to take in the views one last breathtaking time.

On Wednesday, our class set out for Mount Fuji. One should know, however, that the Japanese do not call Mount Fuji as its literal translation, Fujiyama (フジヤマ) but rather by the name Fuji-San (富士山). The suffix -san denotes personhood, specifically of closer of familiar kinship like that of a friend. The Japanese call the mountain Fuji-san out of respect for the nature of the mountain, as many believe that the mountain has a uniqueness and a type of indwelling spirit. Truly, upon viewing Fuji as we arrived up the mountain, it's easy to see why.

We arrived at checkpoint five, which is slightly below half way up the base of the mountain. Traditionally, this is where everyone starts their climb up to the top at 3,776 meters (13,388 feet). We started up the Kawaguchiko route as a class from checkpoint five to checkpoint six and took a rest. Because we were already starting above the first cloud line, the oxygen was already a little thin. Thankfully, packing a lot of water, snacks and a small O2 tank, I was ready to climb with our small group of four friends. Without hesitation, the climb up Mount Fuji was exceptionally difficult. The path from checkpoint six to seven was especially difficult and winding. After brief rests in between for snacks and water breaks, we continued our climb another 400 meters to checkpoint eight. At this point, with about 1,000 meters to go, we reached the hardest and most heartbreaking stage. Many people who climb the mountain never make it past checkpoint eight and to continue on past this point also means the end of the major checkpoint rest areas. As we set out, I admit that there were points where we didn't think we would make it as the fatigue quickly turned into exhaustion and the air became less dense. However, knowing that we couldn't stop, there comes a point when you have to turn your thinking away from "conquering the mountain" and into "working with the mountain" and, in a quiet way, asking it to help you along. Thankfully, after over seven hours of direct ascent, we reached the top Torii gates of the mountain and arrived to the top camp at the final checkpoint. To reach the very top of the mountain was an amazing and wonderful feeling as, quite truly, I was on top of the world. After about 40 minutes for lunch and a quick purchase of a wooden branded plank certifing my ascent, we started for our way back down the mountain through a different descent path. As we rounded past checkpoint eight, exceptionally thick fog followed by a heavy rain hastened our descent down the mountain. But, after a three-hour descent, I made it back to the bus soaked, exhausted and very sunburnt. The hotel Onsen never felt better.

The next day, our class made a quick stop into the Fuji Q Highland amusement park. Fuji Q, which is home to the world record holder for the tallest roller coaster in the world, also featured the scariest haunted house in all of Japan. Admittedly, I was more up for the Gundam Ride instead.

And so, tonight as I have packed the last of my things and said my goodbyes, I know that I will miss this place very much. Someday I hope to return for certain, but for now, I come away knowing a good amount of Japanese, new friends, and some unforgettable memories. Truly, I am deeply thankful to have lived out one of my life's dreams of visiting Japan and only hope that I am fortunate in my life enough to possibly return. In Japanese, sayonara (さよなら）is left as a type of goodbye when you are not going to see someone for a long time, unlike other goodbyes like "mata ashita (see you tomorrrow)" or "ki o tsukete (take care)." Indeed, sayonara nippon, sayonara.

- Matt

p.s.: I have many more photos, stories and videos to share with everyone upon my return. I hope to be able to share them with you in person! Until then - take care!