The ever-so-elusive mount fuji

No first voyage to Japan, most seasoned travelers insist, is complete without penciling Mount Fuji into their hopeful diary. And I absolutely agree!

This solitary cone rises 3,776 meters above the Honshu Region, scarcely a hundred kilometers south‑west of Tokyo. Yet it looms far larger in the national psyche.

In 2013, UNESCO listed the peak as a Sacred Place and Source of Artistic Inspiration, gratefully sealing its distinct status as both icon and pilgrimage site — for excellent reason.

Stand on a Shinkansen platform as dawn tints the sky and you notice how perfectly symmetrical the summit appears. Its snowy shoulders tapering to a volcanic waist that once dusted the country with unwelcome ash. Numerous shrine torii punctuate the foothills, quiet gentle reminders that Fuji is a god as much as a mountain, eagerly compelling artists such as the legendary 18th-century Hokusai to present‑day Instagram pilgrims to frame her again and yet again.

The fabled summit lures between 200,000 and 300,000 climbers each brief summer, enough to prompt new quotas and conservation fees. At the foot spreads Aokigahara, the brooding Sea of Trees, where tales of wandering yurei — ghosts or spirits — provide the landscape with an unsettling feel. And above it all reigns Konohanasakuya‑hime, the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes, whom devotees petition to keep in check Fuji’s fiery temper.

However, beauty alone does not explain the awed admirers, the loyal followers, and the members of a rather loose cult. Meteorological facts concede the mountain shows herself in full only approximately 70 to 80 days each year. Sadly, on the other early mornings till late afternoons, she slips behind gauze‑thin clouds or the vivid summer haze.

Thus begins every traveler’s gamble — if you miss her on the first, second — or even fourth — attempt, you must simply return, itinerary after itinerary, until Lady Luck smiles on you.

I must admit, my own travelogue has been checkered. One rain‑soaked tour, on the insistence of our all-too-eager and hoping-for-a-miracle tour guide, ended at a pocket museum whose gift shop sold souvenirs, which featured the all-too-familiar view from photos and videos — which we all missed.

Four separate sakura pilgrimages fared no better. Millions of petals in pink and mostly white swirled prettily while the Grand Dame remained concealed.

Yet perseverance pays off! One winter, fellow hotel guests we’ve bumped into for breakfast over the past few days overheard our misfortune. Sympathetic, they whispered that the sacred mountain was visible from their upper-floor suite. Though we were never formally introduced ourselves, an invitation came our way. And so, a rushed shared elevator ride later, the blinds and drapes rose on a blush‑pink cone mirrored in Lake Kawaguchi. Bless the kind neighbors.

Another triumph came during a diplomatic immersion in an onsen town during a former life promoting our islands and everything it offers: there it was, from my soaking tub, the peak hovered, and it felt so very close enough to touch!

One more memory was with one of my best travel buddies, Freddie. At the end of a hosted twelve-day Asian cruise for a group of 57 family and relatives — comprised of three generations — a four-day extension in the capital city capped the trip of a lifetime.

After a drive in two chartered busses, it brought us face-to-face with Fujisan! Unbelievable! Incredible! Inconceivable! Endless barrage of photoshoots was in order — solo, couple, among sisters and cousins, family, then every permutation. Capture the moment? In billions? Oh no, make it trillions!

Much later in the day, while our young companions scoured for never-seem-to-end sales, I lingered by the courtyard as I realized shoppers froze mid‑purchase to stare at the moody eclipse of Fujisan.

After a clear sighting, travelers I’ve met speak of a subtle shift in their moods — perhaps, even their lives. After all, the mountain of mountains represents the Holy Grail of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Some vow never to chase the vision again. Others, myself included, feel the pull renew itself the moment it fades from the rear‑view mirror.

Mount Fuji rewards repetition and patience, and thus, she remains a permanent fixture on my return tickets. Though there is always a chance for failure, next time I shall cross more than fingers — perhaps the seasons themselves — knowing that when the clouds part, I can greet her like an old friend, but with new surprises.