Mt. Tsukuba

The flowers in the mountain are beautiful to see. Red plum are in full bloom this time of year, and white plum are apparently in half bloom. I walk through sweet plum groves and fresh smelling flowers, before arriving at Lookout Point Arumaya; a small mountain hut that looks as though it was stolen from a Children’s fairy tale. I stand gazing in the direction of Mount Fuji, 155.6 km away, and visible on a clear day. Today is such a day, but for whatever reason, the mountain remains invisible, as always; forever shrouded by the white layer of clouds that blend into the distant horizon. From Mount Tsukuba, I enjoy clean air and great scenic views, and it is nice to be free from skyscrapers and city. The plums viewing is worth the journey alone, which is actually quite a short one from the center of Tokyo.