QUOTE
Stone by stone, an abandoned route once used for climbing Mt. Fuji is being restored.
The Murayamaguchi climbing route in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, dates back to the Heian period (794-1192) and was used as a climbing path for worshippers of Mt. Fuji. But in the Meiji era (1868-1912), the route was abandoned when the government made Shinto the national religion and climbers made new routes, which became more popular.
Local governments around the mountain hope the recovery of the old route will help promote efforts to have Mt. Fuji designated as a World Cultural Heritage site.
The route, commonly called the Murayama old route, starts at Murayama Sengen Shrine, located at about 500 meters above sea level, and travels 10 kilometers to the starting point of the Fujinomiyaguchi route near the sixth climbing station on the mountain.
In the Heian period, the road prospered as a center for Mt. Fuji worship. But now the fallow route has grown thick with bamboo. About 10 years ago, local residents established a preservation society for the old route and began clearing grass. A few years ago they began collecting paving stones.
The Construction and Transport Ministry's erosion control office for Mt. Fuji cooperated by providing stones gathered from rock slides on the west slope of the mountain. The society has implemented what it calls the "one piece of stone by one person" campaign for laying stones.
About 800 people have contributed to the campaign, and have laid stones for about 200 meters of the path, equaling enough stone to fill seven dump trucks.
On Sunday, about 50 people--boy scouts in the third, fourth and fifth grades of primary school from Fujinomiya, and their parents--listened to the history of the route from the city's social education instructors and laid stone for the path using stones inscribed with their names.
Masaru Godo, president of the route's preservation society, said: "It would be wonderful if our activity contributes to Mt. Fuji's designation as a World Cultural Heritage site. Our dream is to have stone path to the top of the route."
The Murayamaguchi climbing route in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, dates back to the Heian period (794-1192) and was used as a climbing path for worshippers of Mt. Fuji. But in the Meiji era (1868-1912), the route was abandoned when the government made Shinto the national religion and climbers made new routes, which became more popular.
Local governments around the mountain hope the recovery of the old route will help promote efforts to have Mt. Fuji designated as a World Cultural Heritage site.
The route, commonly called the Murayama old route, starts at Murayama Sengen Shrine, located at about 500 meters above sea level, and travels 10 kilometers to the starting point of the Fujinomiyaguchi route near the sixth climbing station on the mountain.
In the Heian period, the road prospered as a center for Mt. Fuji worship. But now the fallow route has grown thick with bamboo. About 10 years ago, local residents established a preservation society for the old route and began clearing grass. A few years ago they began collecting paving stones.
The Construction and Transport Ministry's erosion control office for Mt. Fuji cooperated by providing stones gathered from rock slides on the west slope of the mountain. The society has implemented what it calls the "one piece of stone by one person" campaign for laying stones.
About 800 people have contributed to the campaign, and have laid stones for about 200 meters of the path, equaling enough stone to fill seven dump trucks.
On Sunday, about 50 people--boy scouts in the third, fourth and fifth grades of primary school from Fujinomiya, and their parents--listened to the history of the route from the city's social education instructors and laid stone for the path using stones inscribed with their names.
Masaru Godo, president of the route's preservation society, said: "It would be wonderful if our activity contributes to Mt. Fuji's designation as a World Cultural Heritage site. Our dream is to have stone path to the top of the route."