In this photograph, you can also see the sunlight just beginning to shine on the second tallest peak in Japan in the Southern Alps range. The summit of Mt. Fuji is snow capped from early winter through June. During much of the winter, the summit often sees strong winds. As this was the day following a storm, the northerly winds from Siberia are blowing the snow to the south face, where much of it accumulates. As there was not much snowfall in December, the hiking and access trails on the eastern slope are clearly visible.
Photographers often cluster in one spot, sometimes thirty or more surrounding one tree.
The most annoying thing is after finalizing a composition, people walk up to you and try to snap the same shot. On this day, a large group of photographers were shooting the maples with some of Kenchoji's buildings in the background. As I live nearby, I was here to test some films and a new lens, so I decided to walk to the rear section of the temple complex and up the mountain, where there is a forest, no buildings and few people. There was a groundskeeper who had raked fallen gingko leaves into a pile and set them ablaze, casting billowing clouds of smoke into the air. James Chow Kiyosato is of a copy of a Swiss alpine town set near the Southern Japan Alps and known for views of the surrounding mountain peaks.