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72|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREYAMANASHITHEREISAMENTALCONDITIONOFWHICHYOUMAYNOTHAVEHEARD:THEPARISSYNDROME.THESYMPTOMSARETHUS:JAPANESETOURISTSSAVEUPFORACOUPLEOFYEARSANDUSEALLOFTHEIRSCANTHOLIDAYALLOWANCETOTRAVELHALFWAYAROUNDTHEWORLDTOTHEFRENCHCAPITAL.ENROUTETHEYREADANDREREADTHEIRGUIDEBOOKSANDLOOKATPICTURES,EXCITED–THRILLED!–TOFINALLYBEVISITINGTHECITYOFTHEIRDREAMS,WHEREMODEL-LIKEWAIFSINDESIGNERCLOTHESWILLSKIPOVERCOBBLESANDBETWEENTHEEASELSOFBRILLIANTAL-FRESCOARTISTS.ANDWHENTHEYGETTHERE…WELLIT’SNOTHINGLIKEWHATTHEYHADIMAGINED;THEYHAVEBEENSOLDANIMPOSSIBLECONSTRUCTION.ALLTHATTIMEANDMONEYANDNOW,SITTINGINACROWDEDCAFEBEINGSERVEDMEDIOCRECOFFEEBYAFANTASTICALLYRUDEWAITER,THEIRWORLDSTARTSTOCOLLAPSE.WHATHAPPENEDTOPARIS?WHATHAPPENEDTOTHEIRDREAMS?WEBRITISHAREN’TSOSUSCEPTIBLETOIT:OUREXPECTATIONSOFPARISAREMUCHMOREGROUNDED–ANDBESIDESIT’SONLYATRAINRIDEAWAY.WEEXPECTPERFUME-WAFTINGSNOBS,JUSTASAPARISIANVISITINGLONDONEXPECTSTOBEWADINGTHROUGHUNCULTUREDDRUNKARDS.ANDEVENWHENTHAT’SNOTTHECASE(AND,TRUTHBETOLD,ITRARELYUS),WECANPRETENDTHATITWAS.WITHTHEHUGEEXPENSEOFTRAVELLINGTOPARIS,ANDWITHSUCHLIMITEDHOLIDAYSAYEAR,JAPANESETOURISTSCAN’TBESO BLASÉ.IFENOUGHTHINGSGOWRONG, THEWALLSOFREALITYCANCOMECRASHINGDOWN,LEAVINGSOMEPEOPLEINSEARCHOFTHENEARESTEMBASSY.WHYMENTIONALLOFTHIS?WELL,WEREKATYANDIMOREMENTALLYUNSTABLE,TODAYWEWOULDHAVEUNDERGONEOUROWNVERSIONPARISSYNDROME,ORMORESPECIFICALLY,FUJI-ITIS.BEFOREWECAMETOJAPAN,FUJIWASATTHEFOREFRONTOFOURMINDS.THEPERFECTCONICALVOLCANO,ATOTEMTHATSOMEHOWSYMBOLISESTHEMAJESTYOFTHEWHOLECOUNTRY.EVENWITHOUTSEEINGFUJI,YOUKNOWWHATITLOOKSLIKE:THISISTHEMOUNTAINOFYOURCHILDHOOD,THEULTIMATEPEAK.ITCOMESTOYOUTHROUGHTHEARTOFTHEGREATHOKUSAI,ITCOMESTOYOUTHROUGHYOURDREAMS.UNFORTUNATELY,HAVINGTRAVELLEDTOTHEVERYBASEOFTHEBEAST,WEHAVEBEENLEFTUNABLETOSEEANYTHING.TODAY–OFALLDAYS–WEHAVEHADSOMEROTTENWEATHER,WITHABITINGWINDANDLOWCLOUDTHATHASLEFTEVENTHENEARESTSLOPESOFFUJIINVISIBLETOUS.TOTHELOCALS,IT’SPROBABLYNOSURPRISETHATTHEMOUNTAINHASVANISHEDAGAIN,BUTTOWENAÏVETOURISTS?WELL,IT’SHARDNOTTOFEELALITTLECHEATED.FUJI-ITISDAY37OCTOBER20THFUJIYOSHIDA,YAMANASHITHEMOUNTAINHASBEENDORMANTFOR300YEARS,BUTISSTILLOFFICIALLYCLASSIFIEDAS“ACTIVE”.WITHSUCHUNPREDICTABILITYANDPOTENTIALPOWER,IT’SNOSURPRISETHATTHISISWHEREVARIOUSDEITIESARESAIDTOHAVEMADETHEIRHOMES,ORTHATPEOPLETRAVELFROMFARANDWIDETOWORSHIPTHEM.BACKINTHEREALWORLD,ITISAHUGETOURISTDRAW,ESPECIALLYINSUMMERWHENTHESNOWSUBSIDESANDTHOUSANDSOFPEOPLERACETOITS3,776MPEAK,NODOUBTFINDINGOXYGENINFARSCARCERSUPPLYWHENTHEYARRIVE.THEYUSUALLYMAKETHEASCENTATNIGHTSOTHEYCANWATCHTHESUNRISEFROMTHEROOFOFTHEWORLD.IFTHEWEATHERISRIGHT,ITISONEOFTHEWORLD’SGRANDESTPANORAMAS.YESTERDAY,FROMAFAR,WECOULDGUESSATITSMAGNIFICENCE;TODAY,ITHASGONEONHOLIDAYANDLEFTAGREYVOIDINITSWAKE.LETMEBECLEAR,THOUGH:THEMOUNTAINHASNOTDISAPPOINTEDUS,IT’SJUSTNOTTURNEDUP.HOPEFULLYTOMORROWTHEGODSWILLLETUSSEETHEIRHOMEUPCLOSE.BESIDES,HEREINFUJIYOSHIDA,ATLEASTTHEWAITERSAREPOLITE.
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