I was so surprised that old and famous, also very respected and established climber developer had mentioned about Kamikaze bomber when he described the concept on the climbing routes he had created... the place was notoriously far bolted crag (you can reach to the climbing area within one hour, so it can not be an alpine route...)
He said, if the climb is RCCII 5th grade, in 50 m climbing bolt should be 1 bolt, and if 4th grade, 2 bolts, if 3rd grade, 3 bolts.
What's RCC II grade? Of course! Click here.
http://nozakimakoto.hatenablog.com/entry/2015/01/08/173637
http://nozakimakoto.hatenablog.com/entry/2015/01/08/173637
RCCII grade is Japanese grade that is only used in Japan, 5th means = you can not walk, you need hands, 4th=5.2-5.4, 5th=over 5.7 by definition.
However in reality, the climbing is not this easy, since local climber tend to give grade easier, i.e., they say 5.7 when actually in international grade, it is 5.9.
So by many people's opinion, the route's the easiest climb was 5.7 or so... since Japanese start to use rope at 5.7 or above, so this crag is 5.7(or above slab) and the bolt is 25 m (or 17 m away...at most) .
One of the old climber told me, " You know it was worse, before it was 40 m apart...".
So they think it is improved and compromised...
But who wants to climb 5.7 and "death possible" route???
5.7 is a way too easy compared to today's climbing standard, modern climber are climbing much difficult route than 5.7, meaning 5.9 is beginner level, 5.12 intermediate, 5.13 or above is considered skilled... so no one likes to climb easy 5.7 with risk of life...
Of course the first developer's style and intention had to be respected, perhaps, preserved, but this is not enjoyable nor attractive. The "Easy-but-far-away-bolt" route is least enjoyable route, to be very precise. If it is ever justified, it is when you climb at the first ascent.
If you are a today's average free climber or sport climber who enjoy climbing for fun, not for adrenaline rush, showing how bold you are to the others or some crazy heroism, such as to show how death wishing you are like in Kamikaze pilot..., you don't enjoy this kind of routes.
So this is the great gap between new generation and old generation... Old generation insist on that, it is "our tradition". Is it so???
I had a big question so I went to check about it to Nagasaki and visited war memorial museums too.
And my conclusion, is "yes", it is in us, but that is the exact cause which led all of Japanese citizen in a bad consequence in WWII. So we should not repeat the tradition.
I had already done this scary route led 1st, 3rd 5th pitches and were very scared...(my record is here: https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2020/07/mtmenpoko-in-sobo-katamuki-mountain.html : Japanese
https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2018/04/blog-post_42.html)
My experience of climbing in Laos had involved no scare like this... in Japanese route, you can be killed even with best belayer, and no matter what grade you climb, even though you are a 5.14 climber, you can fall in 5.7 since it is outdoor, tiny bugs or a snail or whatever.... can scare you or things could happen...
https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2018/04/blog-post_42.html)
My experience of climbing in Laos had involved no scare like this... in Japanese route, you can be killed even with best belayer, and no matter what grade you climb, even though you are a 5.14 climber, you can fall in 5.7 since it is outdoor, tiny bugs or a snail or whatever.... can scare you or things could happen...
New climber trying to protect themselves by getting a higher climbing skill, like trying to get a better climbing skill, since if you don't fall, you really don't need a rope. (actually this is "the" situation...rope useless, so literally the climbers climbing these routes are same as climbing free solo) but you never get rid of fear... since the risk is not actually covered by being a 5.12 climber to climb 5.7 route... the risk is something else that can not covered by climbing skill itself, even rope does not cover the risk, if the bolts are too far...
There has been the death accidents in this crag too, and it is a beautiful white granite hills... like in Insubong, but it is the least enjoyable, also unreasonable crag ever I met.
Why it became so? Because guys wanted to death withing style, and that is what gives adrenaline dose to them...
Certainly not for me!
Related articles:
Sobo Katamuki Mountaine Range
https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2019/02/sobo-katamuki-mountain-range.html