Who Thinks We Need a Mountain Day?

Today, the 11th of August, something rather wonderful happens in Japan. It’s Mountain Day or Yama no Hi. It is a national holiday dedicated to appreciating the country’s mountains and recognising the blessings they bring. And I have to say, I think they might be onto something!

Japan is a country shaped by mountains. Around 70% of its landmass is mountainous, and for centuries those mountains have been far more than a dramatic backdrop to everyday life. They are woven through Japanese culture, art, spirituality and belief. In Shinto tradition, mountains have long been regarded as sacred places, associated with kami, the spiritual beings or divine forces believed to inhabit the natural world. Peaks such as Mount Fuji have drawn pilgrims for generations, with the act of climbing itself becoming part physical journey, part spiritual practice.

The idea of creating a day specifically to honour the mountains began gathering momentum decades ago, championed by people who felt that a country so profoundly shaped by its peaks should have a day to acknowledge them. Eventually, in 2016, Mountain Day became an official Japanese national holiday. Which got me thinking… Who thinks we should have one here?

Because while we might not have Japan’s towering peaks, mountains are woven deeply into our landscape, our stories and our sense of place too. Here in Cumbria, it’s almost impossible to imagine the land without the fells rising around us. They shape the weather, the roads, the communities and the way the light moves across the landscape. They have inspired artists, poets and writers. They’ve witnessed generations come and go. Long before we arrived with our maps, boots, summit selfies and lists of Wainwrights to tick off, they were simply there. And perhaps that is part of their magic.

There is something about standing beside a mountain that changes your perspective. You can look up at something that has existed for millions of years and suddenly whatever has been consuming your thoughts feels different somehow. Not necessarily smaller or less important, but placed within something much bigger than you.

Mountains don’t need us to conquer them. I’ve always found that language a little strange. We talk about “conquering” mountains, “bagging” peaks and “beating” difficult climbs, as though reaching the top somehow makes the mountain ours. But the mountain hasn’t been beaten. It hasn’t gone anywhere. We are simply the ones fortunate enough to have crossed its slopes for a few hours.

Perhaps Mountain Day offers another way of looking at them. Not as something to conquer, but something to have a relationship with.

That doesn’t mean you need to suddenly start worshipping mountains or planning an expedition up Mount Fuji. Reverence can be much simpler than that. It can be knowing the name of the fell you see every morning. Learning something about the geology beneath your feet. Understanding the wildlife that lives there. Walking a familiar path with curiosity instead of rushing towards the summit. Sitting beside a tarn. Watching cloud spill over a ridge. Picking up someone else’s rubbish. Or simply acknowledging that these great pieces of land give us far more than a beautiful view.

And you certainly don’t need to be in Japan to embrace the spirit of Mountain Day. You don’t even need to climb one! Maybe you could visit a favourite fell, hill or high place. Perhaps you could look towards the mountains from wherever you are and think about what they mean to you. Read about the history of one you love. Discover an old story connected to it. Take the gentler path around its base rather than heading for the summit. Or simply raise a cuppa to the skyline. Because maybe the real beauty of Mountain Day isn’t about creating another date on the calendar. Maybe it’s the idea behind it.

That the landscape which holds us deserves acknowledgement too. We have days for people, events, traditions and moments in history. Why shouldn’t we have a day for the mountains? They were here long before us. And, with a little care and respect from those of us walking amongst them now, they’ll still be standing long after us.

So this CHOOSEDAY, I’m borrowing a little wisdom from Japan. I’m celebrating Mountain Day from right here amongst the Cumbrian fells. Will you?

And perhaps the bigger question is… If we had a Mountain Day here in the UK, which mountain would you choose to honour?