Mt. Fuji

When thinking of Mr. Masahiko Shimura in Fujifabric, Mt. Fuji always comes up in my mind.

I personally had a tough week as one of my family members was admitted to hospital, I am very glad to talk about Mr. Fuji feeling some energy flows into my body!
Today's topic is on the magnificent theme, "Mt. Fuji".


For Japanese people who live abroad, Mt. Fuji suddenly grows bigger in our mind since the moment we left Japan.
Even the foreigners with not much knowledge about Japan, usually know "Mt. Fuji", and the name "Fuji" is more frequently used for places and products aiming at Japanese people, compared to Japan.



The supermarket purveying for the Japanese people in Bangkok is called "Fuji Super" as precedented.




For people originally coming from Ymanashi and Shizuoka Prefecture, Mt. Fuji is always in the scenery in our heart and also a guardian deity.

In our bedroom, a piece of photo of Mt. Fuji in a frame is put up on the wall.
I feel that things will be just all right when looking at the Mt. Fuji - no matter what that is.
Time I have lived abroad has exceeded the time I spent in my hometown, but even now, I am always comforted and cheered up by Mt. Fuji.

I will write about Mt. Fuji in general some other day, so please let me go on writing something including my personal memories.



This year on the 18th  May, Yamanashi Daily Newspaper and Shizuoka Newspaper published "Fuji-san (Mt. Fuji) Newspaper".
It was aimed at making residents in these two prefectures recognise the connection with Mt. Fuji once more, and it is my belief that we don't have anything else to be proud of more than Mt. Fuji in our town.

I have never realised this fact till I left my hometown.

In Fuji-san Newspaper, the article on  "immigrants' Mt. Fuji" was astonishing.
After the WW2, a great number of people immigrated from Yamanashi to the countries in South America.

Because many people passed away with the last words, "Wish to see Mt. Fuji once more.", Mr. Fujikawa expended his private funds upon building a statue of Kannon (The Japanese Goddess of Mercy) in a field in Izu Ooshima where Mt. Fuji can be beautifully viewed.

How they felt being in such a hardship so far far away from home...



In Kofu City where I was brought up, Mt. Fuji can be viewed depending on the weather, and I still remember we, even as children, could feel the season by mountains around including Mt. Fuji.
During the rainy season, it hides in deep deep clouds, but once it is over, Mt. Fuji shows up with no snow on the top among mountains in the south.

Finding several little lights sparkling on the left shoulder of the mountain, I felt we have reached the time of climbers in summer.
Mt. Fuji keeps changing its appearances depending on the weather, time, and season, and I have an impression of the mountain being fickle as showing its beautiful figure in the poor weather or never showing up in the fine weather.


Not only the season but also the direction is obvious by using Mt. Fuji as a compass.
Living in the Kofu basin, Mt. Fuji is situated always in the south so it is detectable which way you are heading to without any device of new technology.

Recently, due to a big boom in Japanese culture (TV dramas, rock bands, etc) all over Thailand, Japan has been ranked for the first country that Thai people would like to visit.

Quite a few people in here told me that they would like to see Mt. Fuji  with cherry blossoms once in their life.
And that is the moment I am so proud of myself coming from such a beautiful prefecture.




Mr. Shimura in Fujifabric must have felt in a similar way to me, maybe much more than me.
We can tell by him using the name, "Fujifabric" for his band in his whole lifetime.

There must be lots of things happened in his life during the 18 years in Fujiyoshida City, but he must have loved his hometown including all the events and people in his memory, and there is always Mt. Fuji in his town  showing no interest in human activities.



Around that area, distinctive nature can be observed.
Yamanashi Prefecture is full of beautiful nature as being surrounded many mountains, but even we, as locals, feel that the nature at the foot of Mt. Fuji is totally obscure and harsh keeping humans away because of its sacred aspect.

Strange enough, for us, same as the tourists from other prefectures, Fujiyoshida City is the town of Mt. Fuji.
There must be quite a few people from Kofu City who went to Fuji Q Highland (the Amusement Park in Fujiyoshida City) for the first trip with your friends in your teens.

When the bus crossing through the Misaka mountain pass, all of sudden Mt. Fuji strikes us with its great figure.
That was maybe the time that I felt Mt. Fuji is so fabulous.

It is not exaggerated to say that because Mr. Shimura Masahiko, with a great gift, was born and brought up in that town enjoying the nature, we are fortunate to enjoy their music now.
I would like to express my thousands of thanks to everything which make this possible.



There was the ceremony mourning the death of Mr. Shimura held in the end of January, and unfortunately, I could not attend.
When I saw the photo later Shimura-kun standing on the top of Mt. Fuji made of beautiful flowers, I felt he is now back where he belongs to.

I am sure he is now with Mt. Fuji he loved, and keeps watching us.