FEATURES - Boarding Fuji

[Ocean11 0]

> Only with this discipline can efficient and accurate communication be maintained.

 

Gunjin dakara sa.

[damian 0]

dunno gunjin, nor the meaning of 'sa' on the end.

 

But I am going to run with the odds and feel offended

[Ocean11 0]

No need to be offended.

 

It means, "That's because one is a military man", hence the strict radio procedures and firm direction of subordinates.

[pie-eater 207]

Intestesting read RagDoll, thanks for sharing.

[hairy-biker 0]

How good a boarder are you Rag-Doll? I'd love to give it a go next year.

[Rag-Doll 0]

HB – Your question is difficult to answer because a part from being very subjective any answer would depend on a ton of conditions and factors. To give you some idea of my level - I’ve been riding for about 5 years and spend most of my time looking for ways to get into the trees and/or powder and/or steeps. When I was living in Japan I was getting about 20 days a season and spending no more than an hour or two in the park each year. I can hold my own against those of my friends who I consider to be good or very good skiers. I don’t know whether that makes me a good or just an average boarder or just a poor judge of skier.

 

Perhaps a better question is how good does one need to be to be able to ride Fuji. The BC boys on here might be able to express this in better terms but for me I reckon you need to be confident* that you can negotiate safely and in control the mix of terrain and snow conditions you’re likely to encounter on the mountain. Fuji isn’t all that steep. Judging slope angles is difficult but I wouldn’t say that the top is steeper than 40 degree and it’s probably closer to 35 max. The shoulder of the mountain would be lucky to be 30 degrees and in some places it is a lot less. Some of the photos show the angle and the short vid I posted on SJ give a good indication as well. The tricky thing about Fuji is two fold – firstly there are areas on the mountain that have a lot of obstacles, including very sharp rocks, metal stakes, signs, cement blocks, wire, ledges and walls etc. you need to be in control at all times on a variety of snow conditions and secondly it’s a high mountain and the weather can change quickly and so can visibility, therefore you need to be able to get off the mountain quickly without too much fuss.

 

I should say that I’m only talking about the boarding ability/experience that I think a person would need. There are a lot of other BC safety issues that need to be addressed by anybody having a go at Fuji. Climbing Fuji isn’t difficult (geriatrics climb Fuji in the summer) and on a clear day like we had there were all sorts of people having a go but if you’re going to ride Fuji you’re going to want to pick that ideal mid-period when it is early enough in the season so there is still enough snow to make it worth while and late enough in the season to avoid the worst of the weather; too late and it’s hardly worth it – too early and you can find yourself in serious trouble.

 

* This has to be an honest no bullshit assessment based on your past boarding experience. If I was pressed for an objective standard, I would say that if you avoid some slopes at Japanese resorts because they’re too difficult or too technical then you should avoid Fuji as well.

[jgraves 0]

I enjoyed the read, and have thought about skiing Fuji myself, but what has stopped me is the fact that many Japanese consider Fuji to be a holy place, home to kami. Some even consider the mountain itself a kami. Quite a large percentage of "hikers" are not hikers at all, but pilgrims on pilgrimage.

 

I'm all for a good ski adventure, but not a few Japanese would be unforgivingly displeased at the very thought of boarding/skiing Fuji. I like rock climbing too, but I wouldn't boulder on the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Even if nobody saw me or tried to stop me at either, my respect for them as holy places does.

 

Sorry, it had to be said.

[damian 0]

gee, those pilgrims sure dump a lot of man-made garbage on the slopes of Fuji.

 

Not to mention the 117 golf courses, roller-coaster and live firing military range used by the Japanese and US Armies.

 

holy fuji!

[griller 9]

Those people leaving garbage and creating roller-coasters must all be gaijin.

[Rag-Doll 0]

Well said Spud.

 

Tohoku Bum – Mate, that is a fair enough sentiment but I reckon it is a little misplaced in this instance. Leaving aside for the moment the arbitrariness of deciding that it’s ok to turn the mountain into a tourist attraction (with all the problems that that involves, including vending machines) but that it is not ok to slide down it – we saw other people climbing Fuji on that day with the aim of boarding/skiing down it, but we didn’t see any other foreigners.

[jgraves 0]

Several years ago, I visited a shrine built into the wall of a river ravine with some Japanese and western friends. Two of the westerners in our group thought it would be fun to go cliff jumping there. I'm sure they had fun, but our Japanese friends (not to mention the other Japanese at the shrine) although they smiled, were quite angered and embarrased by the whole thing, and told me so after the two had left. My Japanese friends were 2 young, cool, open-minded, not particularly religious Japanese guys--imagine what the older, more conservative, religious Japanese there thought.

 

I'm talking about decorum.

 

A bunch of people (foreign or not) snowboarding or skiing down Fuji (some whooping and hollering) detracts from the sense of awe that those old people hiked ten hours to experience (and may never be able to do again in their lives), much more (apparently) than some litter does.

 

Besides, does the fact that some Japanese people litter on Fuji make it ok for me to litter on Fuji? No. Why should that be an excuse for me to ski or snowboard there? Or even the fact that Japanese board/ski it? What ever happened to leading by example? Isn't that what Noguchi is trying to do?

 

There's plenty of other mountains in Japan. Why not give Fuji a rest?

[Rag-Doll 0]

TB - mate we could go around in circles all day with this. I respect the sentiment and appreciate that your comments are well intended, but I honestly don't beleive that our riding Fuji was any more offensive or less offensive than the behaviour of the rest of the people on the mountain that day. Fuji isn't a temple and we weren't acting in appropriately on the peak.

 

Perhaps some of the native Japanese members of the forum could offer some insight into how a Japanese person views snow boarding/skiing Fuji. Echineko, Akibun, Akafuji, Snowconnection, Gamera - Any comments?

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Do you honestly think that its OK to climb Fuji, have vending machines on it, and bomb it etc but skiing or boarding it isnt?

 

That seems a bit silly to me. As does comparing "the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem" to Mt. Fuji as well. Quite different IMO.

[bushpig 0]

Pretty much all mountains/hills in Japan are considered to house kami (gods) if you really get into the old beliefs of Shinto and the animistic beliefs preceding it. By that very fact, then the Japanese building resorts on moutains, not to mention bulldozing entire hillsides for housing developments etc, is highly offensive (or it should be) to the Japanese and their beliefs. Jumping off a cliff, whooping and laughing where there is an actual shrine is a different matter to climbing/skiing/boarding/shitting on/littering/building vending machines on a huge mountain. It is not in the face of a shrine or those who are trying to worship the gods that are enshrined there.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Hmmmm, would it be the trees or cement who would be the kami?

 

I love how so many people leave all their trash after having a BBQ. Did any of you see the specials just after G.W. bout the huge trash problem? Japanese "wa" sure is rikai shinikui ne.

[jgraves 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Creek Boy:
Do you honestly think that its OK to climb Fuji, have vending machines on it, and bomb it etc but skiing or boarding it isnt?

I think climbing it is fine. I can't do anything about the vending machines, concrete, artillery practice, amusemnet parks, etc. But I can do something about the litter I see, and my own actions.

None of you seem to care about this, though, so I'll shut up.


P.S.
The Fuji "kami" is the phenomenon known as goraiko (Brocken specter, in English) that occurs in Japan almost only on the top of Fuji. Never seen it in person, but here are some pictures:

http://images.google.com/images?client=s...F-8&sa=N&tab=wi

In shinto, the kami is called Konohanasakuyahime and Buddhists consider it to be the Buddha Avalokiteshvara (Dainichi nyorai). Many new religions have their own names for the deity and have practices surrounding it.

[daver 0]

regarding camera phenomenon

[cal 6]

Tohoku bum - do you duck ropes?

[bushpig 0]

Tohoku Bum, I don't mean to be a prick, good on you for your conviction. To me though, you are ignoring the fact that in Shinto and its roots, pretty much every and any mountain was considered to house a god. The size and importance of that particular god (ie. that the particular one in Mt Fuji is ALSO sacred to Japanese buddhists) is quite irrelevant in my opinion. If you are gonna hold that Mt Fuji is sacred and should not be boarded/skiied, then surely for the sake of consistency you should keep that attitude towards all the other mountains which play host to kamis, whether they be well known, currently worshipped, or otherwise. Doing so would pretty much stop you from skiing or boarding anywhere in Japan.

[damian 0]

If I hiked up for 10 hours and the decided to slide down on my bum, with no hooting or expression of recreational joy on my face.... would it be ok?

 

What if I set up a new religion like one of the other 2000 religious organisations registered around Fuji. If my religion had the legal minimum number of members, could we all be suitably offended at people choosing to walk, slide or piss on our mountain for any other reason than a holy pilgrimage?

[oo 1]

Seems a very weak argument got to be said.

 

And interesting that all the others doing it were Japanese, not naughty gaijin.

[jgraves 0]

Let me just ask you this (I'll even make it multiple choice) and then I'll shut up (maybe):

 

Why was/is Fuji even contending to become a world heritage sight?

A) Because its Japan's highest mountain

Because a variety of apple is named after it

C) Because of the long history and centrality it has had and continues to have in Japanese religions

D) Because it looks like a teet.

 

Would you make sand castles out of the Zen rock garden at Ryoanji (another world heritage sight)? Would you carve your initials into the Moai statues on Easter Island (another world heritage sight)? A twenty-something Japanese did the latter. Hmmmm, perhaps Japanese might not be the best standard for judging appropriate behavior.

 

Le Spud: if you slid silently down on your @ss, I would have much less problem with it, and I'd expect to see the picture of your bruises posted here afterward. Lots of ice + sharp edges = disturbingly loud scraping.

 

Bushy: My point wasn't that it is a sacred site because of the presence/absence of a kami, but because it continues to be used as a sacred site by hudreds of thousands of religious practictioners. I can think of about four other mountains in Japan that I wouldn't ski on for the same reason, but the rest are fair game. (btw, I am an editor of a Shinto Encyclopedia funded by the Japanese gov't--I do know a little about Shinto/its roots)

 

Cal: no

 

Daver: goraiko is simple physics, not photo aberration. Happens almost exclusively at high altitudes. Standing in a cloud or fog with your back to the sun, your own shadow is projected into the center of a spherical rainbow appearing just meters in front of you, looking like a shadowy god/goddess appearing in the middle of a ball of light. Thus, belief in Fuji's particular sacredness.

 

You're all going to find a way to rationalize skiing/boarding Fuji anyway, and "everyone else is doing it" seems to be winner here. So f#ck it. I thought you'd all be a bit more open-minded.

[bushpig 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Tohoku bum:
Let me just ask you this (I'll even make it multiple choice) and then I'll shut up (maybe):

Why was/is Fuji even contending to become a world heritage sight?
A) Because its Japan's highest mountain
Because a variety of apple is named after it
C) Because of the long history and centrality it has had and continues to have in Japanese religions
D) Because it looks like a teet.

Bushy: My point wasn't that it is a sacred site because of the presence/absence of a kami, but because it continues to be used as a sacred site by hudreds of thousands of religious practictioners. I can think of about four other mountains in Japan that I wouldn't ski on for the same reason, but the rest are fair game. (btw, I am an editor of a Shinto Encyclopedia funded by the Japanese gov't--I do know a little about Shinto/its roots)

I am guessing your answer is C Tohoku Bum? I reckon the wording should be more like this: Because of the long history and centrality it has had and continues to have in Japanese history/culture/art/religion. Not exclusively religion.

Point taken on my comments. The thrust of your argument is that it is offensive to those actually practicing their religions who hold it sacred right? OK, fair enough. So I would be inerested to hear opinions of people who are actually offended by this, and then also hear what they think of all the other activities taking place on the mountain. Again, not trying to be a prick Tohoku bum, really just interested to hear what some of these people really think.

I like D as an answer to btw

Oh, and I wasn't trying to suggest that you don't know anything about Shinto and its roots mate. What is that encyclopaedia you are editor of? Any online links?

[damian 0]

Oh well, too bad for the religious practitioners.

 

The only reason I don't really want to ride it is that it isn't particularly steep, it is full of man made junk obstacles and, in the season of spring-cone riding, you cant ride top-to-bottom. In late winter on a good weather day, low winds.... you could get +2500m of descent (avoiding the military bombing range). Now that kind of decent would be interesting.

[jgraves 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by le spud:
The only reason I don't really want to ride it is that it isn't particularly steep, it is full of man made junk obstacles and, in the season of spring-cone riding, you cant ride top-to-bottom.

That's why I couldn't understand why everyone was jumping down my throat at suggesting there were other reasons not to ride/ski it also.

Anyway, the site for the Encyclopedia of Shinto is:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/
Pretty specialized for the most part, but the 24 "special topics" at the bottom right are more general and pretty interesting.