The late Maruyama Gaku’s corporate life took a sudden turn when he was struck down by a life-threatening heart condition in 2003. He survived against all odds after a series of operations and credited his recovery in part to the sense of hope he gained from looking at images of Mount Fuji. He in turn began photographing Japan’s sacred mountain as part of his post-operative rehabilitation therapy. From 2007 he used those images to help ease the hearts of gravely ill patients in hospitals. Sadly, Maruyama Gaku was again taken ill and passed away in February 2020.