Mt. Fuji Motivation

Mt. Fuji is the national symbol of Japan. Its near-perfect symmetry, size and visibility for tens of millions of people in the Tokyo area have turned this still-active volcano into a national icon. It’s the tallest mountain in Japan (3,776 m/12, 289 ft.), is considered a holy site by followers of the Shinto religion, and draws untold thousands of hikers every year to ascend her sides to the top. In short, Fuji-san inspires superlatives like no other mountain in Japan.

For my part, Fuji-san inspires many trips to the men’s room.

You see, like hundreds of millions of other officer workers around the world I fuel my work with regular cups of coffee (coupled with Red Bull or lesser-caffeinated beverages when I want to push the typing envelope). The morning fuel-up is inevitably followed by nature’s call to jettison some ballast, thereafter necessitating regular pit stops at the men’s room in my workplace. That’s the brilliance of the architect of the building: I have an unfettered view of Fuji-san from the entrance to the men’s restroom. That is a perk I share with only a few other hundred thousand or so workers in Japan’s capital region.

The View - the ideal

 Does the panorama of Fuji-san lower perceived stress levels or produce higher degrees of job satisfaction? Unknown.

But I do know that the view beats that of any other workplace I’ve been in. In fact, I find the occasional glimpses of Fuji-san inspiring. However, I did get a few snickers from a couple of co-workers who inquired as to why I was taking photos near the men’s john. The things I do for my art!

The View – the reality without zoom…but still quite nice