Fuji Peace Park

This post is a little late.  Somehow it was hidden amongst all the other posts I've made in the last few months...we've been busy!  In late November 2015, we packed our lunches and made our way toward that beauty....Fuji-San!

The drive was surprisingly quiet on the way.  We spent an hour playing peek-a-boo with Mt. Fuji....it would peek around one turn, hide around the next, then sneak into view around the next bend.  

Gate marking the entry to the parking lot

We arrived at Fuji Peace Park and parked the car just inside the fairly empty lot, then made our way up the hill.

Just inside the park is a pretty little garden and pond.  

It's not very often that we find these protective gods without some sort of screen or wooden bars in front of them.

The kids had so much fun running around the garden and finding the fish in the ponds.

WOW!  What a view!

The park was pretty empty while we were there.  A few buses came and went filled with tourists, but for the most part it was quiet and peaceful.

I'm not sure I've ever really looked at the back side of many statues, but I'm glad I managed to get behind this one to catch the details of her gown.

Bell Tower

When we arrived we had a perfect view of the top.  The longer we were there the more the clouds seemed to blossom around the peak.

At the back of the park is a stupa with the ashes of Buddha, donated from an Indian Prime Minister.

Once at the bottom of the steps you take off your shoes, put on slippers, and then take a leisurely stroll around the circle.

The kids loved the lion statues that lined the walkway to the stupa.

I found a few maples that were turning red around the grounds.  

There are four golden images of Buddha around the stupa.

This building behind the stupa has relief images on all six sides.  

Around the corner was a little open area.  I'm not sure what was going on back here, but there were little statues around the perimeter.  I think there are a lot of sakura trees back here and the views of the area are stunning!

As we were leaving I saw a stairway off to the left and decided to make my way down and see what was going on down there.  Well....quiet....quiet.........quiet...........

It was a walkway that lead back into the woods a bit.  I counted how many statues were along the walkway, but I've forgotten the number now.  There were well over 30.

One last shot before we make our way home! <3 

Okay...maybe one more last shot before we leave! :)

Not the greatest shot, but every time we drive through Gotemba we see this windmill.  I was so excited to see it up close I just had to get a shot. 

Then, as one last goodbye for this trip, Fuji-San put on a sunset display for us as we made our way home on the seaside road between Enoshima and Hayama.