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| Road toll of 2300Yen to drive to the summit |
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It almost seems a shame to be slipping back into jeans next morning before we begin the assault on Mount Fuji. There are a handful of so-called '5th stations' on the volcano that can be accessed by road and form a base camp for expeditions to the top. It might sound glamorous but according to the local info it takes no more than 4hrs35mins (!) to reach the top, where a gift shop awaits. In the official climbing season of July to August, as many as 3000 people a day make the ascent, so peace and solitude are not on the menu.
In the wintertime, though, all is deserted and the Fuji-Subaru line takes us up the mountain. There's a road toll of 2300Yen (17 euros), which sounds pricey, but this proves to be one of the world's great driving roads. Quick open sections are interspersed with challenging hairpins that are a test of technique. It climbs to 2305m and the altitude puts a strain on the Nissan's 285 horses, but with the roof up, there's a greater opportunity to savour the soundtrack of the 3.5-litre V6.
We finally emerge above the cloud-line to be greeted by the snowy peak of the volcano. This is the Fuji that you see on postcards and the Nissan's temperature gauge is registering zero. Below me, the clouds roll across the horizon, blocking out the view west. By the most direct route, I am no more than 80 miles from Tokyo, but there could scarcely be a greater contrast between this desolate spot and the high-tech bustle of the capital city.
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| Click through for more inspirational views |
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Japan is a fascinating country and the new 350Z Roadster makes a fine travelling companion. We'll reserve judgement on the dynamics until we drive a UK-spec car, but even in this guise, there seems little doubt that Nissan's engineers have succeeded in chopping off the roof without removing the car's character. This could prove to be one of the must-have cars of summer 2005.
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