One day in mid-November some years ago, three of my very kind Japanese friends took me on a trip to Mt. Fuji. I met Takakatsu and Aki at the station and we travelled together by train to the outskirts of Tokyo.

Along the way I distinctly remember seeing wild monkeys playing by the side of the train track − I hadn't expected to see wild animals so close to Tokyo. We met another friend, Yasuyuki, at the end of the line and he drove us in his beautiful new four wheel drive car to the Fuji area.

It was autumn and the colors of the trees were stunning. This was my first and only experience on Japanese roads and I was very impressed - the roads were in good condition and the people were driving very well. I was also impressed with the landscape along the way: it was beautiful.

We didn't climb Mt. Fuji but we had an excellent view of it for most of the day. It really is an extraordinary mountain. Unfortunately, when we took a cable car to a special viewing spot, the sky became overcast with clouds and we couldn't see anything at all! 　I didn't mind so much - I was happy to be out of Tokyo for the day in the fresh air, surrounded by nature.

For lunch, my friends took me to a local restaurant where we tried a local dish. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about this dish. If I remember correctly, it contained pumpkin and noodles. After lunch, we explored some local markets, we visited some local tourist attractions and we fed some carp in the lake. The carp were gorgeous colors and very fat and healthy. For most of the afternoon we were walking and so we had a lot of exercise. Oh and we took lots of photos too. Naturally I have a photo of our group in front of the famous Mt. Fuji!

There were a lot of other Japanese people having a nice day out too. They were very relaxed and happy, talking and laughing a lot. It was a pleasure to be amongst Japanese tourists in their own country.

If there is a point to this essay then it is this: you don't have to climb Mt. Fuji to enjoy it. The area itself is pleasant and relaxing with plenty to see and do - I recommend it!