Japanese Title (邦題)： 「日本人は人混みがお好き？」末尾に
Japanese people love to be in the crowds?
Good morning to the World and Kanmon!
It was one Saturday in September. Just before 11pm.
The location was a roadside station at the foot of Mount Fuji.
The parking lot was packed with cars and was almost full!
On weekdays, they commute to the city center in rush hour, and on weekends they are congested with traffic heading to beach or mountain resorts, and at night they sleep in their cars in full parking lots.
It seems as if they are deliberately heading towards crowded areas, and it’s hard not to be impressed by their behavior, which can look pathetic depending on how we look at it.
If this parking lot were photographed with an infrared camera, there would probably be strangers sleeping every two meters.
The sound of someone opening and closing a door echoes throughout the parking lot every few minutes, and I can’t stand it.
Well, the host, on the other hand… after admiring the mountain that stands out against the evening sky, the night view of the town at its base, and the starry sky…
He returned to his car and had a drink by himself!
There is not a single car in sight, and it is a moment of supreme silence, with the sound of deer nearby.
After a night like that, I went back to sleep early in the morning, making sure the mountain peak was hidden by clouds and not visible.
Slowly waking up once the sun was fully up, I faced the direction from which the mountain supposed to be visible and enjoyed Sunday brunch.
Of course, there’s no one else around.
Being in the popular Fuji area, who cares about inbound overtourism?
I spent a weekend in September enjoying highland life.
Yes, this is not only the spectacular view, but also the reason why it is my favorite spot in 2025.
Thank you and you have a nice day in your own special place.
from Yassan,
The host of a Little Guesthouse under a Little Lighthouse TOUKA
( http://touka-kanmon.com )
日本人は人混みがお好き？
世界中に朝が、そして関門にもあさが来ました。 おはようございます。
９月のとある土曜日。時間は23時前。
場所は富士山麓の道の駅。
駐車場には所狭しと車がたくさん停まっていて、ほぼ満車状態！
終日は都心に向かって通勤ラッシュ、週末は海・山のリゾート地に向かって渋滞、夜も満車の駐車場で車中泊。
わざわざ好んで混雑する方に向かっているとしか思えず、見方によると痛々しくも見えるその姿には感心せずにはいられません。
この駐車場、もし赤外線カメラで撮影したら、2m毎に誰か知らない人が寝ている状況でしょう。
誰かがドアを開閉する音が数分おきに駐車場中に響いていて、これは自分には耐えられません。
さて、これに対して宿主は、、、夕空をバックに浮き上がって見える山、麓に広がる町の夜景や星空を見た後は、、、
車に戻って、一人晩酌！
あたりには他に車は一台も見当たりません。近くで鹿の鳴き声が聞こえる静かな至高のひと時です。
そんな一夜が明けて、、、早朝、雲に隠れて山頂が見えないことを確認した上で二度寝。
陽が十分に上がった頃、あらためてゆっくりと時間をかけて目覚めた後は、本来山が見えるはずの方角を向いて日曜のブランチ。
もちろん、周囲には他に誰もいません。
人気の富士エリアにいて、インバウンドのオーバーツーリズムなんてどこ吹く風？
９月のとある土日に高原ライフを満喫したのでした。
そう、これこそが絶景のみならず、2025年一番のお気に入りスポットたる所以です。
それでは、自分だけの大切な場所で素敵な一日を！
灯台下のちいさいゲストハウス「灯火」宿主 やっさん より
( http://touka-kanmon.com )
