Celebrating Mountain Day in Japan

On 11 August, the people of Japan were able to take a new public holiday – national Mountain Day, a celebration of the country’s rich geography and splendid mountain regions.

Climbing and mountaineering are among the most popular outdoor pursuits in a country which boasts a number of 3,000m peaks, most notably the world famous Mount Fuji. The Japan Mountaineering Association, a UIAA member since 1967, is the largest in Asia and counts some 43,000 members.

This new holiday, conceived in 2014, and inaugurated this year was born of the desire to provide “opportunities to become familiar with mountains and be thankful for blessings from mountains.”

The UIAA wishes all of Japan’s many climbers and mountaineers a happy day exploring.

Photo credit: skyseeker via Foter.com / CC BY