It takes nine months for a toenail to grow. I learned as much after a mountain bike 50 km to Mt. Fuji Subashiri 5th station (2000m) climb to summit (3,776m) 27 hour round trip last August. In 2012 it was a 42 km to Gotemba 5th (1,400m) 24 hour round trip. It was far tougher going at 52 than 46. I was damned proud of pulling that'n off. I survived! My two big toenails not so much though. They both fell off about a month afterwards. May 2020 they've finally grown back.
That was the 7th time I've summited Fuji. A couple years before that I guided my two sons and nephew to the summit. It rained the whole damn time but they made it. Damned prouder of them even for pulling off that one.
I meant to write a blog entry about that last bike/climb trip and climbing with my sons but never got around to it. I thought of it again when reading some big news about Mt. Fuji the other day. On five other occasions I've joined the roughly 300,000 people who climb during the brief summer climbing season and am sure it's only a matter of time till I climb'er again. No chance of doing it this year though. The news I saw was Mt. Fuji closed to climbers this summer.
I meant to write a blog entry about that last bike/climb trip and climbing with my sons but never got around to it. I thought of it again when reading some big news about Mt. Fuji the other day. On five other occasions I've joined the roughly 300,000 people who climb during the brief summer climbing season and am sure it's only a matter of time till I climb'er again. No chance of doing it this year though. The news I saw was Mt. Fuji closed to climbers this summer.
I first saw it after a Japanese friend, then another, then some fellow expats shared it on Facebook. I was sad for goofs like me who love to climb it and sadder for local businesses that'll take a huge hit. I commented as much but added how it may give the nature around there a chance to catch its breath and thrive. Most the other comments were filled with thoughts similar to mine. In a word they could be summed up with: "しょうがない "
"Shouganai"
"That's life!"
I've often heard it uttered by Japanese at times when I've wished to complain or find someone to blame. Sometimes there's nobody to blame though. Sometimes that's just how things are. Little did I know when we started dating that my wife would became the guru who'd teach me that.
That's life!
On a whole it seems Japanese are more apt to accept that than most Americans are. I include myself in the "most Americans", although I am slowly learning to let go and accept the changes life throws at me.
The closure of Mt. Fuji is a prime example. The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics is another. I think of the changes and high class hardships that've come to many since the pandemic hit. And yes, things like not going to the hairdresser or not climbing a mountain are definitely high class hardships. Anyone who thinks otherwise should talk with a ghetto kid, a Syrian refugee, or about a million others I can think of--tell one of "the least of these", tell Jesus! about safe, fat and happy asked to stay home outrage. In no way am I making light of people going bankrupt. As a small school owner who's lost business to the pandemic we very well could end up there ourselves. But what's that compared to fleeing for your life with only the clothes on your back? To not knowing where you'll sleep tonight or if you'll live to see another day?
Some, indeed millions of my fellow Americans, refuse to accept it though. People want someone to blame for this pandemic and, sadly, the hate and ignorance spewing airwaves flood their minds with scapegoats. News Mt. Fuji closing reminds me of all the crazy conspiracy theories, all the blame slinging and outrage that's clogged my Facebook feed these past couple of months. Why can't some people just accept that this pandemic ain't got a danged thing to do with politics? This isn't a democratic Joe Biden Chinese and Santa Claus attack on Trump. It's a long predicted contagious disease affecting damn near everyone in every nation on earth!
There are times I want to scream it in the all caps native tongue of some of my fellow countrywomen and men.
THIS AIN'T ABOUT TRUMP YOU IDIOTS!
IT'S A GODDAMNED PANDEMIC!
THAT'S LIFE!
Alas I know better by now. It wouldn't help. They'd just say Mt. Fuji is playing politics. They're closing it down this year to hurt Trump.
And so I quietly tap out my thoughts on the matter here instead.
Fewer than 800 have died from coronavirus in Japan, yet the government here is still closing down World Heritage Mt. Fuji to climbers to prevent the disease from spreading further.
Fewer than 800 have died from coronavirus in Japan, yet the government here is still closing down World Heritage Mt. Fuji to climbers to prevent the disease from spreading further.
Meanwhile millions of people in a country where the virus has claimed over 90,000 due an unprecedented incompetent national response--90,000 dead and the spread shows no signs of abating--millions there are clamoring to open up everything, blaming anyone but the liar who promised the pandemic was "totally under control", and chasing figments of their imagination through one conspiracy theory after another.
And dying.
Blaming and dying at a far higher rate than people are in most every other nation on earth.
(I've been keeping track as people cry oppression there; say "shoganai" and take it in stride here)
So the answer is NO.
Closing Mt. Fuji has nothing to do with politics.
There's a pandemic going on.
That's life!
(I've been keeping track as people cry oppression there; say "shoganai" and take it in stride here)
So the answer is NO.
Closing Mt. Fuji has nothing to do with politics.
There's a pandemic going on.
That's life!
