Undera heavy rain, I climbed a rocky path for three hours. I didn't seeany other climbers until I reached to a mountain hut. It was stillraining and I could see nothing other than white fog.
Threedays afterwards, the wind start blowing the crowd and a "spearhead"of Mount Yarigatake, which means mountain of the spear, showed up. Ilost for word and just could watch it. However, other staffs werejust dealing with a routine job. It was a "daily life" for them,and it also became a "daily life" for me soon. I never imaginedthat a photograph I took at this moment became a beginning of my fiveyears photo shooting for this "daily life."
Thesephotographs were taken at Kitahotaka Mountain Hut which at anelevation of 3106 meters (10190 feet).
KitahotakaMountain Hut, so called "Kitaho", is the highestalpine hut in Japan. Mountain huts provide sleeping berths and mealsfor climbers.
Theyopen this place on April from start digging out the hut from fewmeters thick snow. During next six months, about two thousands hikersstay for a night. Then after a short summer, they close this placebefore snow start covering the hut completely again.
Aftereach of them getting through the different jobs at different citiesduring winter, they step on the top of snowy mountain again, for thenext short summer.
GeorgeHerbert Leigh Mallory whodisappeared during their attempt to make the first ascent of theworld's highest mountain is famously quoted as having replied to thequestion "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" with theretort "Because it's there". If you asked "Why you workat Kitaho?" to them, they would reply same answer. Because workingat Kitaho is precious "daily life" for them.