Mt. Taihaku is not a famous mountain, but everybody in my hometown knows about it. It’s a small mountain located at the southern edge of town watching over everybody that comes in and out of the city.
When I was in primary school, the school trips often took us to Fukushima prefecture, the region south to our prefecture. We always travelled by rented buses, and our tour guide would always give us an introduction to the trip as the bus left the school, moved through the small roads, then entered the highway. When the tour guide finished the introduction, he or she would always say the same sentence.
“So, now, everyone. Look on your right. You can see Mt. Taihaku over there. Let’s greet the mountain and ask him to wish us a good trip! Bye, Mt. Taihaku!”
Everybody was too excited and busy talking with their friends to pay attention to the tour guide. But I always turned back, looking at the small triangle-shaped mountain quickly become smaller as the bus sped up on the highway. Then I would ask Mt. Taihaku to wish us a good trip, and promise that we would come back with great stories.