Views of Mt Fuji

Leaving in a non-mountainous region, I'm fascinated by both volcanoes and mountains. Hiking Diamondhead (dormant volcano) in Hawaii was a definte high point to that trip (no pun intended) :)) Awesome friend's apartment had a great view of Mt. Fuji. I thought the travelogs were exaggerating when they touted that Mt Fuji dominated the skyline, was totally huge, and a intense part of Japanese art. Not at all. These are the two best shots of Mt. Fuji - one in the morning, and one at sunset. The tall thin tower might be a cell tower.




I also bought a souvenir with a painted Fuji on it... so I fell for the tourist kitsch! :)

Buddhist Shrine, Nighttime

Next to where I stayed in Japan was a beautiful, amazing, large Buddhist temple. These pictures were taken, obviously, at night.


A few statues in shrines around Tokyo have the red bib around them. Both animal and human status might be wearing the bib. Known as a devotion bib, someone has asked that spirit, represented by the statue to watch out for a child or infant.



I couldn't get a picture of the oddly tailless cats that were all over the temple courtyard. Well, I did, but all that showed were a pair of gleaming eyes.
However, at the gate to the shrine are these two enormous Buddhas - someone old me they are guardian Buddhas, meant to protect the shrine.



Forboding, aren't they?