Mt. Fuji Maple Leaves Autumn Photo Tour - The Sea of Trees, Hamadryad, Makiawisug - PART 1

Japan and the entire world are striving to overcome the pandemic to enter the epidemic phase, and by this autumn, I expect to be able to lead my annual Mt. Fuji Autumn Leaves Photo Tour. The travel restrictions should be eased so international photographers can visit Japan during fall and enjoy the majesty that is Japan’s iconic volcanic peak, Fujisan. For nearly two and half decades, I have been exploring Mt. Fuji and its surrounding region; Mt. Fuji is a vortex power spot, one that I am constantly drawn to. Everyone who visits Japan should be introduced to Mt. Fuji’s splendor, topography, and history. One of the most dynamic elements of Mt. Fuji’s history is its earthshaking volcanic eruption of lava flows in 864 that lasted for 10 days. A seemingly endless amount of cinder and ash were ejected from Mt. Fuji. That eruption created a 3,500-hectare wasteland lava field that functioned as the origin of Aokigahara, the sea of trees, today, a healthy, flourishing forest with trees that grow in naturally occurring volcanic compost planting pots. There are countless caves, ice caves, volcanic crevices, and dormant lava tubes throughout the sea of trees. Japanese folklore and the sea of trees go hand in hand, and there are countless stories about this forest. The most famous legend is that Aokigahara is the most haunted forest in all of Japan, and another one is that compasses allegedly don’t function properly; this is patently untrue, and in the forest’s modern history, there are hundreds of documented cases of people that have gone missing in the forest because they’re not educated in wilderness survival, not carrying a compass, water, raincoat, or a first aid kit. People too often depend on their smartphones, but there is no cellphone coverage in over 95% of Aokigahara. To properly navigate the sea of trees, you need a map, a compass, or a GPS, but I’d recommend having all three, and I also recommend carrying a satellite phone; two-way radios don’t always work in Aokigahara. If you do enter the forest, make sure you have essential survival gear and be warned of bush fever because Aokigahara is a silent forest, and you can easily get turned around and lose your direction.