Hi y'all, we're back with a new entry featuring my uncle, Akihiro. Taking some personal days off from work, we took a trip to Mt. Adatara, located in Fukushima prefecture. On our way to the summit, we navigated through loose rocks over the exposed mountainside, traversed mud hills (which I may have wiped out a couple times going downhill), and took the time to savor the cool breeze at every clearing. Whenever we stopped at certain viewpoints, it was nice to stop and take it all in, especially with the wind at your back, the indescribable feeling of being on top of the world, and the comradery by your side.
At the end of the first day of hiking, we stayed at a mountain lodge, and had dinner as the stars began to shine across the night sky. Chatting with my uncle, I made three discoveries: the first being his amazing choices of portable cooking goods/systems (featuring Onishi Foods Alpha Rice, curry, mini pots with foldable handles, a portable kerosene stove, and a JetBoil water boiler); secondly, the onsen (Japanese hot springs) at the lodge truly hits different after a four-hour hike; and lastly, the opportunity to see my uncle's purpose of mountain hiking. For my uncle, hiking mountains is not done to become an expert hiker, it is to experience something new through one's passions. His message of enjoying the journey itself has truly resonated with me.
On a side note, the film, The Summit of the Gods, reverberates this connection of how/why mountain climbers would go to such lengths to reach the top. After seeing the film (per my uncle's recommendation), it helped me to understand where he was coming from after our conversation. There were some heavy scenes within the film, but it certainly told a beautiful and thought-provoking story.
The heart-to-heart conversation also gave me a chance to reflect over Japan's reverence for nature. My uncle mentioned that some mountains within Japan are referred to as a living entity/person. For example, to the outside world, Mt. Fuji is called "Mt. Fuji", but in Japan the mountain is called "Fuji-san" (the suffix of "-san" meaning "person" in Japanese). These natural structures are seen as sacred wonders and events to appreciate its beauty happens throughout the year in Japan. Additionally, the Shinto shrine (from my first blog post) being present in the urban area of Shinjuku shows that humanity and nature tend to coexist in Japan--and I feel my uncle lives between those two sides whenever he goes to his mountain adventures. If you're at Gustavus, check out Professor Richard Leitch's Analyzing Japan course (during J-term) and Professor David Obermiller's various East Asia courses on Japan to learn more about this connection :).
This has been my third mountain adventure with my uncle, and I hope to go on further trips with him in the near future. To wrap this entry up, below are some action shots of him that could serve as calendar covers.
Thanks for reading!
Great photos of the hike and description of how the journey triumphs the destination. Your point about the deep connections of nature to JPN society reminds me of how Miyazaki films convey that relationship, as well as the dangers to humanity when we don't respect that balance. The massive droughts/heatwaves that China, Europe, and the US are experiencing, coupled with 1000 year rainfall events should provide compelling evidence that climate change isn't a fiction, and that human actions are largely responsible for upsetting the equilibrium with nature.