Japan News
No summit, but still spectacular
A trekker trudges up a path between Mount Fuji's seventh and eighth stations Wednesday, as the first rays of sunlight leak through a break in the clouds. Wednesday marked the opening of the mountain climbing season on the nation's tallest peak, but for the first time since 1997 hikers were prevented from reaching the summit of the 3,776-meter volcano due to the remaining snow. A party of about 20 waited for daybreak at the Taishikan lodge, situated at the eighth station.