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Today I drove up to the fifth station of Mt. Fuji after a long time. Although it was clouded on the ground, I started for Mt. Fuji assuming it might be fine high in sky. There seemed to be many people who had the same idea as of me. Cars were advancing in line on Subaru line, a mountain highway for Mt. Fuji. When I arrived at the station, the top parking was full. But fortunately enough I could get a space where a car drove out. On my way here, the road was covered with thick moistures at a few places. But at the station, it was clear and cool and very comfortable comparing with hot humidity weather on the ground.
I found out from their car number plates that people were coming here from Kansai in west and from Kanto in east. The following shows plates coming from various regions of Kansai. I was impressed by how big Mr. Fuji was attractive for the people.
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I met many people coming down from the top of mountain where they could see a beautiful sun rise. As you can reach from the sixth station to the edge of Houei Mountain's crater (dead volcano), there were many hikers wearing light. Those who came down from the top of mountain were holding sticks, wearing globes and caps with big knapsacks. So it was easy to identify them. Replying to my question "Did you make it?", they said vividly they could really enjoy the beautifulness of raising sun on the top. Some of them left the seventh station at midnight, while the others started to climb from the fifth at 10 o'clock in the last evening. Everybody were full of satisfaction and told me their experiences. A middle aged lady from Nagano said, "As his sons told her they were going to climb Mt. Fuji, she made up her mind not to miss the very chance for being on the top of mountain where she dreamed to climb for years."
There were many who brought dogs to the mountain. The two small dogs on the following left picture climbed up to the nineth station without rope, the owner told me.
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There were many foreigners. A youth was carrying a mountain bicycle. A man running down with running wears. From about the time we arrived at the sixth station, dark moistures or clouds began to grow around us. I gave up a walk to Houei mountain and took a cup of sweet drink and came down. On my way back, I could suddenly see the top of mountain for about thirty seconds when moistures faded away.
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The fifth station is a good place for the exodus from heat as far as the parking lots are not crowded. The place is open until late autumn. The autumn leaves here are very beautiful. The place is my recommendation.