Mostly Japanese Mountains: Diamond Fuji and the Light of the World

Mt. Fuji is one of the most awesome sights I know. I see it every day for most of the year and it still commands my attention every time.

At this time of year, if you catch it at just the right time and place, you can capture a diamond effect as the sun sets or rises behind it. For Tokyo, we can see this phenomenon at sunset in the 3rd week of December. One of the most popular spots for this is Mt. Takao.

I took these pictures on December 18, 19 and 20 last week from the Tama River in Tachikawa. I didn't really catch the diamond effect. I wasn't in the best place or even using a proper camera, but I still like the pictures and hope you do, too.

As it's Christmas Eve here, I am conscious of what a gift Mt. Fuji is. More than that, I'm thinking of what a truly awesome giver could have given us the gift of Mt. Fuji (and the gifts of the sun and the stars and hair and skin and opposable thumbs . . .)

And since Christmas Eve is the beginning in one way of the Christmas story, I thought it might be appropriate to reflect on the beginning.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:3