You are probably surprised to find yourself on a paved road again. Although this road cuts through the mountain trail, you will find yourself back on the scenic route soon enough.

You will notice the trees stop growing at a certain point in the path. This is known as a tree line and is also said to be the boundary between heaven and earth. But nowadays, there is some vegetation growing up until the seventh gō. Some say this is due to global warming. When you’re in Tokyo, you probably don’t sense this change, but when you climb Mt. Fuji, it becomes apparent.

In the past, there were other little shrines in addition to Fuji Mori Inari. There was a shrine called “Nakamiya” or “Middle shrine”, which was as much a focal point of the Fuji-kō, as the shrines located at the second gō. The tree line was much more distinct then and it really looked like a border of another world.