Today’s Doodle celebrates Japan’s Yama no Hi (山の日), or Mountain Day. Announced in 2014 and first observed in 2016, this day encourages the people of Japan to take time out to explore and appreciate the majestic mountains that cover nearly three-quarters of the country’s landscape.
August 11 was reportedly chosen because the eighth-month kanji ‘八’ looks like a mountain, and the number ‘11’ resembles a pair of trees.
Some of Japan’s most breathtaking mountains are located in Nagano and Yamanashi Prefecture, which inspired today’s Doodle art. Amongst these mountains is Mount Fuji, commonly referred to as the most iconic peak in all the land—and also the tallest, rising to a height of 3,776 meters (12,389 feet).
Tokyo city-dwellers can reach Mount Takao without traveling far, and many of its popular trails can be hiked in just 90 minutes, whereas it takes a bit more time to hike the ancient Kumano Kodo trails in the Kii Mountains. Winding past waterfalls and pagodas, this network of seven pilgrimage routes is one of just two such routes in the world to be recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible heritage.
