Two Paraguayans who are residing in Japan reached the top of Mount Fuji, an iconic mountain that extends to 3,776 upon sea level, and it is the highest point of the Land of the Rising Sun. This feat was achieved by Yoshio Gono, from Encarnación and Kenji Furuya, from Pirapó.
“It was a very satisfying experience. It is like a dream from childhood come true”, Gono commented when he talked about it to local press. His desire of climbing one of the most iconic places of Japan came on behalf of his father, who climbed the mountain back in 2018, when Gono was thirteen.
Gono did not hide his emotion when the time to start climbing arrived. He arrived an hour and a half earlier than his other four climbing partners. “I was the only one who took the flag of his country.”
Going to the top of Mount Fuji
Gono started climbing Mount Fuji at midnight in Japan, with Kenji Furuya and three other people, all of them co-workers. “When we first started out, we said ‘this is going to be easy’. But then it became harder”.
Mount Fuji has four different paths for the ascend and descend: Fujinomiya (fastest, yet hardest path to climb), Gotemba (less travelled and quieter), Subarashiri (low affluence, changing terrains) and Yoshida (most travelled and accessible of the four).
Gono mentioned that his group took the Gotemba path, which has the greatest elevation gain of the four trails. The path as an ascent of approximatively 6 to 8 hours, few rest stops, and is the least travelled route of the four.
“I went more prepared for the cold and food rather than height”, Gono mentioned, as the higher the ground, the less the oxygen. “The others already had everything prepared”, although he suffered the effects of heights, he managed to overcome this inconvenience with medicine he took from Paraguay.
Fingers graze the sky
After reaching the mountaintop of Mount Fuji, Gono proudly let the wind wave the flag and made a heartfelt message: “Every effort, every sacrifice is worth it. This mountain is a symbol – not only of Japan, but of courage, sacrifice and determination. To all Paraguayans I tell them: do not give up, even if it seems distant, impossible. If you believe in yourself and keep going, you will get there”.
Eventually, he revealed that this message was an improvisation on his behalf, after realising that there many fellow countrymen across the world, and not every one of them could achieve what he did. On a lighter note, he mentioned that other visitors were annoyed at the presence of his flag because “it disturbed their photos”, but not for him.
The Mount Fuji descent was more pleasant and quicker than the ascent, according to Gono. They took the Yoshida path, that zigzags the mountain slope until it reaches the Osunabashiri, the “Great Path of Sand”, where the descent becomes quicker and easier. In this part it is recommended to take hoodies, masks and protective goggles due the thin sand dust.
“Paraguay conquering the world”
Yoshio Gono has spent less than a year in the Land of the Rising Sun, having arrived in November, 2024, while Kenji Furuya has been there for almost four. Gono left Paraguay in search of work opportunities, finding a place in Arioma, a railway maintenance company that works in the biggest cities of Japan; the same company where his father, climbing mates and Furuya’s sister works at.
Japan, in fact, has a large community of Paraguayans. “We are a lot more than what I imagined. I think I know more Paraguayan folks, than Japanese folks, that is something incredible! Paraguay conquering the world”.
If you plan to visit Japan and want to climb Mount Fuji, visit the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) website to find the official climbing guide. Read more about connections between Japan and Paraguay: From Tokyo To Asunción: Japanese Harpists Honour 100 Years Of Guarania.
