(Leaf 70) – Reflection
Bashō
famously wrote a poem about not seeing Mount Fuji. For many tourists who
visit Japan, seeing Mount Fuji is – of course – top of the list of their
priorities. And in this modern-day ‘Instagram Age’, as a glance at today’s newspapers
here in Japan will show, it has become a big problem in some small, rural
towns. The difficulty in seeing Mount Fuji most commonly relates to the
weather and the time of year. It is often occluded by haze or cloud. In spring it is usually clear, but the most
spectacular views (I think) are to be seen in the autumn. We are very lucky, we
can see Fuji-san from our balcony in Tokyo. And I have taken many spectacular photographs
of the sun setting behind the famous mountain. I’ve also seen it on many
occasions when travelling by road or rail. But one of my most memorable views happened
when I was leaving Japan on a flight back to the UK.
Both above the clouds
– Fuji-san
from the aeroplane window.
