A Japanese man puffs on a cigarette while he heats the brand that will be used to mark the walking sticks of those who made it to the top of Mt. Fuji.
When you climb Mt. Fuji, you’re likely to start at the 5th station (of 10). Before you start up the mountain, you have the opportunity to purchase all manner of Mt. Fuji souvenirs, an important and useful one being a walking stick. At each of stations along the way, you can get a stamp imprinted on your stick with the station name and height of the station. At the top is station 10, and you can opt for a stamp or, if you want something more unique, a brand. This is the man doing the branding and here you can see him heating up the brand. The impression tells the height of the mountain and the date you climbed it.