I’m big in Japan: Heiwa Koen (2005 May 9)

Heiwa Koen in the city of Gotenba was our next stop; unfortunately, there seems to be no decent resources to link to for this wonderful sprawling park of gardens and shrines. You’ll have to make do with my words and photos. The walk up to the main Buddhist shrine was an uphill walk along a paved path bordered by stone lanterns and a variety of beautiful and colorful flora. The area around the main shrine was dotted with a variety of sculptures, ceremonial bells, and such. Guardian lion statues from various countries lined the path up to the Indian style pagoda that housed a large, golden statue of Buddha. Housed in the temple are various artifacts donated by the first prime minister of India.

Exploring the rest of the park proved to be equally breathtaking; we spent the time just walking around and soaking up the atmosphere. I’ll let the pictures inside do the 1000 word talking from here.