This Just In: Photos from the Front

THIS PAST SATURDAY I SAW MOUNT FUJI FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!!

Again, like most sunsets, it was a lot more epic in person.

My friend Brandon was hiking with me so he took this photo. We were at the same spot in Kamakura where I saw that awesome sunset the weekend before. But the reason this sighting is so amazing is:

1) views of mount Fuji are an essential part of the Japanese experience. Viewing mount Fuji is a cultural institution that has inspired some of Japan's most famous art.

You thought I was kidding? The whole point of this, Japan's most famous woodblock, is the little mountain in the background--not the wave. It is one of a series called "The 36 Views of Mount Fuji." I guess that just wasn't enough Fuji, because he later went on to do another series called "The 100 Views of Mount Fuji." And he's not the only one.

2) It was completely unexpected. Every time I've even gotten close to a glimpse of Japan's national icon, it's been obscured by a cloudy haze; in fact, Fuji-viewing is kind of out of season, I think. So, last Saturday was no exception. But when the sun set, in a dramatic coincidence of light and fog, Fuji stood in stark silhouette against the bright red of the sunset. 'Epic' is an understatement.

Anyway, I was brimming with enthusiasm. So there it is.