We could see Mt. Fuji from Yokota Air Base, and I never tired of seeing it. Truly magnificent. I was there in 1978-79.

A group of us from the base hospital tried to climb it once, and got as far as station 8 before we had to turn back because of rain, thunder, and lightning. When we saw all the local Japanese folks turning around and heading down, we followed suit. One of the base dentists in the group said, "We'd better get our asses off this mountain."

Going down was much more strenuous than going up, and my thigh muscles were sore for over a week.

I still have my Fuji stick all these years hence. Every time you reach a station, your stick gets branded with a symbol of that station. It is among my most treasured possessions.