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Four stories of Mt. Fuji reflect four different views of this Japanese symbol, the great Mt. Fuji that emboldens and empowers those who live in its realm. What does Mt. Fuji mean to you? Is it an icon of Japan, God, Mother, Father or a sacred place? A man with a cult history and a suicidal woman are both searching for the meaning of life. Three teenagers living like the robots of their parents are looking for an answer to life and death. There is a lonely old woman who collects rubbish and lives like a monster; and a guy who has a hard time living a normal life and respecting this woman. A nurse depressed from her job of aborting babies turns her hatred towards their young mothers. Mt. Fuji watches over all these human beings both living and dying - so silently, so calmly and so serenely. Why are we alive? Mt. Fuji, our symbol of life, may not give you an answer, but it is ever-present for us. Towering there with such grace and beauty Mt. Fuji inspires hope and the life-force.

Category Level

Fiction

Editorial Review

I myself climbed Mt. Fuji about 15 years ago, and this book brought back the scenery. I can remember how the summit looked so close, but would not get any closer however high we climbed. The rocky path was so hard to climb. My husband had to push and drag me while I was begging him to leave me at the 7th station. But I felt we had accomplished a major feat when we finally reached the summit, and I have respected Mt. Fuji much more since then. As I read through this book, I found myself cheering all the people in these stories, "Don't give up! You can do it!" As my husband said, "You just have to climb it, it's the tallest mountain in your country." This book certainly reminded me of that.

Submitted by Hiroko Burtner

Table of contents

• Story 1 – Blue Ridge
  A guy works at a convenience store, and has a bunch of pictures of Mt. Fuji in his room. He does not talk much and lives a simple, quiet life after spending some time in an extreme cult group at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A girl who works with him has the habit of slashing her wrists. She shows some interest in him after a robbery incident at their store. One day, the same robber comes back to take revenge on him! Two human beings on the verge of giving up hope start to think over the meaning of life. Instead of death, struggle and search, they see quiet love, survival and hope. "Just watch over me quietly like Mt. Fuji, and we can live together." Maybe, maybe, life is not too bad after all. This story conveys the quiet but powerful message of Mt. Fuji.
  
• Story 2 – Sea of Trees
  Three teenagers grew up together as robots of their parents, going to private school on their way to becoming elites. They take a trip to the spooky sea of trees at the foot of Mt. Fuji to commemorate their graduation. Those fascinated by death and the afterlife seek exciting adventures in the Sea of Trees, famous for its suicides. Eating, drinking, telling secrets, - it was supposed to be a fun night. Unexpectedly they encounter a man in the act of committing suicide. But he is still alive! Should they save him or leave him alone? He wants to die. The man wakes and fights back. What is the meaning of living and dying? Will they ever get out of the Sea of Trees? Mt. Fuji will lead them to their answer.
  
• Story 3 – Jamyra
  An old woman collects rubbish from all over the place and keeps it around her house near Mt. Fuji -- her neighbors have been complaining for years. A young guy from the city's environmental department tries to talk the woman into getting rid of the garbage, but at the same time, he can appreciate her lifestyle. Jamyra, one of the classic monsters in a TV show, is her nickname. To Jamyra everyday waste is treasure. The environmental officer has himself has thrown many things away "in the hole" of the past. In his mind the hole was connected to Jamyra's house. Eventually the city obtains Jamyra's approval to dispose of the rubbish. But in the end she returns to Mt. Fuji as if she has given up on us all...
  
• Story 4 - Children in the Light
• A nurse is supposed to help people heal and live. Ironically, this nurse works at an obstetric hospital helping young girls terminate their unwanted pregnancies. She is caught in the dilemma of looking at beautiful newborn babies and discarding them like waste. She is choking with hatred towards the young girls who abort their babies. One day she meets a lady who has tragically lost her baby after an attack by a deranged criminal. Together they decided to climb Mt. Fuji. There the nurse meets other women including one with late stage cancer. Everybody is trying to live, trying to prove something by climbing Mt. Fuji, just because... Now she is determined to carry the sick woman to the top of the mountain. This story reflects modern society: cancer, abortion, crime. Can Mt. Fuji heal her broken heart and give her a ray of hope?

About the Author

Randy Taguchi was born in Tokyo, Japan. She has worked in an advertising agency and an editorial agency. Her first work, "OUTLET" was a bestseller in 2000. "Dekireba Mukatsukazuni Ikitai" (Shobunsha) and won the Fujin Koron Literary Award 2001. "Outlet" was made into a movie in 2001. "Antenna" was made into a movie in 2003. Vertical translated "Outlet" into English.