Autumn in Japan, Soon it will be Winter

Well everyone, it is starting to get colcer. It seems like just yesterday that everyday was hot and humid. Now the humidity is gone, and I wear a jacket everyday. It is amazing how much the weather can change in just over one month!
I am from a very cold place. Minnesota is the coldest place in America outside of Alaska. Even though Minnesota winters are very, very cold (our record temperature is -51 degrees celcius!) winters in Minnesota are very comfortable. We have central heating, which we use 24 hours a day, our houses have thick insulation, we drink lots of hot beverages, like tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, and wear very thick coats outside. When I first moved to Tokyo, I thought winter here was horrible! People don't use heat at night, only blankets, houses usually do not have thick insulation, and Japanese winter coats are not very thick. Even though Tokyo is much warmer than Minnesota, I still liked Minnesota winter much more! Now I am a little more used to Tokyo winters, but I still wish my house had central heating. Every time I go outside recently I think about how it will soon be winter. To someone from Minnesota, winter in Tokyo is scary!

Fuji-san Conquered!

On September 6, 2008, I climbed Mt. Fuji. Because my friend was visiting from the States, it was the one and only thing she wished to do during her stay. At 11 p.m. from 5th station, we started our climb up the mountain. Though at first we were practically running up the path, the steep steps slowed us down almost immediately. Since we started our climb so late in the evening, we were a bit worried that we might miss the sunrise and therefore, rushed up the mountain. Despite the steep steps, we charged up the mountain with much determination, taking a break only after reaching 7th station. Even then, we merely stopped for 5 minutes before battling the mountain again. Rushing however, proved to be a bad idea. By the time we had reached 8th station, my friend became very sick from the altitude change and decided to rest for awhile. After 30 minutes and food, we began the hike again. As we came close to the summit, our hike slowed down once again. Masses of people were lined up, all rushing to get to the top without much success. Because the climb had slowed down so much right about the time when the sunrise was supposed to begin, we stepped off the path and situated ourselves comfortably on the side of the mountain to watch the sunrise. Despite the arduous climb, witnessing the sunrise made it all worth it. It was truly a sight to see and I recommend everyone to attempt it at least once.