On The Train To Mount Fuji

KODAK 2005 12 29 12 14 31
Originally uploaded by Yasashisa.

I wrote this on December 29th as Charity and I were on the train bound for Kawaguchi-ko near Mount Fuji.

Japan is a diverse country. I have seen this firsthand over the past few days. Right now, I'm on a train traveling through the Japanese countryside after having spent the past few days in the big city of Tokyo. I really have been enjoying Tokyo. For a country boy from small-town Saskatchewan, I feel strangely at ease in a "city" with a population almost as large as all of Canada itself. It is a very active and lively city. There is more to see and do in Tokyo than one could hope to see and do in a lifetime. The lights of the city as seen from the tower of a Shinjuku skyscraper are enough to take your breath away. The city doesn't seem to stop; it goes on and on as far as the eye can see.
I am finding, however, that it does end. About two hours out from Tokyo, the city turns into a tree covered, mountainous countryside with scattered houses and villages. It's far from the Japan shown in movies like Lost in Translation. Even so, this is Japan. Tokyo is Japan. Osaka is Japan. Foreigners often believe that Japan and its people are very uniform and consistent; this is not true. Japan is very complex, diverse and at times self-contradictory. It is a fascinating and beautiful place. I'm glad Charity and I have the opportunity to explore it.

I hope you enjoy. Maybe its a little melodramatic, but it's true. Japan is fascinating. I hope that through my blog and my pictures, you can start to appreciate this country a little bit more. Take care.
-Joe