The Mount Fuji Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, and it is known throughout the world for its beauty. It is 3,776 meters above sea level and has a diameter of 44 kilometers, and is located almost in the center of Japan, and it frequently erupted in the past. The area above the eighth station possesses a shrine which has been an object of worship since ancient times. Mt. Fuji was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June 2013. It is considered to be a symbol of Japanese beauty and is often drawn in many art pieces. Its appearance changes depending on the time, the weather, and the season. You can admire the summit of Mt. Fuji from Tokyo on sunny days. There are many sightseeing spots and hot springs around Mt. Fuji, and it is full of climbers and tourists during the summer. Also, there are several lakes around Mt. Fuji, and they are known as the Fuji Five Lakes or "Fuji Goko." One of these lakes is drawn with Mt. Fuji in Japanese thousand yen bills. Climbing Mt. Fuji is a very popular activity for Japanese people. The official start of the climbing season is in early July, and the best time to climb is from the 20th of July to September because the rainy season in Japan is until the 20th of July. Generally, it takes about six hours to climb and three hours to go down the mountain. Many people aim to see the sunrise from the summit. Even during summer, the summit of Mt. Fuji is cold, around 5 degrees Celsius, so it is dangerous to climb outside of the official climbing season.

Omatsuri The Japanese Summer Festival “Omatsuri” is a ritual for worshipping gods or Buddha, or an event held in gratitude towards nature. These include praying for a plentiful crop and expression of thanks after the crop harvest. The word “Omatsuri” is used for festivals held in a shrine; if held in Buddhist temples, they are called “Ennichi.” Almost every shrine in Japan has a Omatsuri in late summer or early autumn, and it is said that there are more than 300,000 festivals. At the festival, there are many rows of stalls called “Demise.” You can buy your favorite food from a food stall such as Takoyaki (Octopus Dumplings), Yakisoba (Fried Noodle), Wata-ame (Cotton Candy), and Yakitori (Grilled Chicken ), then enjoy these while walking around. Also, Demise have many activities, for example, a shooting game, goldfish scooping game, and ring toss. Children love those activities. Among various types of festivals, in order to avoid summer heat and enjoy a cool evening, “Hanabitaikai” or firework displays are held. Many people go there with a casual Kimono “Yukata,” which is made from cotton. It is a standard costume for the summer festival. Also, there are traditional dance events called “Bon Odori” to hold a memorial service to the spirits of ancestors; people dance with music at the temple yards. For Japanese lovers, those summer festivals are an important event following Christmas Eve Day.

Kimono The Kimono is a traditional Japanese garment, before the Meiji Period (〜1868), all Japanese wore kimonos, but nowadays people only wear kimonos especially women for special occasions such as Coming-of-Age ceremony, wedding receptions, and so on. Kimonos have some types. There are several types of kimonos, such as Tomesode, Furisode, Yukata, Hakama, and so on. There are differences in kimonos worn by married women and unmarried women. "Tomesode" is for married women, and "Furisode" is a formal kimono for unmarried women. The characteristic of Furisode is long sleeves with a length of about 1 meter. The most formal kimono is black sleeves kimono called "Kuro-Tomesode." Often see the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride wear in a wedding ceremony. Hakama is mostly worn for graduation ceremonies. It has a split bottom like pants. Casual Kimonos "Yukata" Yukata is a casual kimono made from cotton, is lighter than a standard kimono, used to be worn in the house as sleepwear so that it cannot wear a yukata for a formal occasion. If you stay in a Japanese style hotel called a ryokan, you can experience wearing a yukata. Today, Yokata is a standard outfit to go to summer festivals. You can see a lot of young people wearing casual kimonos there. There are schools to we ar Kimonos A kimono is a little complicated to put on by oneself. Most young women can’t put on it themselves. So there are schools how to wear Kimonos. It probably sounds funny that you have to go to school to learn how to put on your own traditional garment.

Hokusai Museum The world-famous Ukiyo-e artist “Katsushika Hokusai”, who is said to have influenced Van Gogh. It is said that he spent his life almost in Sumida Ward, and the “Sumida Hokusai Museum” is opened in 2016, in order to exhibit his highly valued works in the world. The museum is bit far from train stations, but it is worth seeing because the building has its own innovative design and the building itself can be said, a part of works. The park is in front of the entrance and it is a place for citizens to relax. The details of his works are translated in four languages ​​including English by the touch-panel display which offers profound insights into his works. Unfortunately, all of the exhibits are replicas and the inside of the hall is not very large. There are not so many tourists from overseas country as I thought. Honesty, you might disappointed when you visit. Although you can take pictures of the works inside the building, using flash is prohibited. Since some works are forbidden to take pictures, please be sure to follow instructions from staff.

Gundamu Cafe in Akihabara Please check the sentence below :) It is an official cafe of Japan's leading animation "Gundam". A human size Gundam (RX 78 - 2) welcomes you in front of this store where Gundam lovers gather. There are lots of menus with Gundam in the shop, and BGM also Gundam theme songs. Since it is open as a cafe during the day and as a bar at night, it is full of vigor irrespective of age and sex. The toilet is interesting. The face of Gundam is on the wall in the toilet. Pressing the glowing blue button makes the room dark and music plays. Many customers are lined up in front of the toilet to see the action. It is located just around JR Akihabara Station so it is good place to take a break after a lot of walking.