On the map, northwest of Nagasawa JHS, Mama keeps seeing this mountain labeled Mt. Fuji. On one of our last days here in Japan, we have to check it out! Here is the link to the map in case you think Mama is crazy like I do. Map of Mt. Fuji
Starting up the stairs, we already see some cool headstones. Mama spots a cross and smiles. "Jesus is everywhere, Lou. See?" The WHOLE hill is full of all types of headstones. Of course, to see more, we must climb stairs. Seriously, stairs EVERYWHERE. I'm glad Mama takes the brunt of this physical challenge. I bet she has double the muscle from hiking with me on her back this whole time.
It turns out, the view is worth the climb. It's a beautiful day and we find so many great things up here. Where are all the people? We have to figure out how to get up to the red tower. Looks like we need to detour a bit. Around the first hill is the logical conclusion. "Up there. I walk myself? Where you going Mama?" Mama is walking through a huge garden. She sees no other way around it. I think she should find a road, but she disagrees. Tramping through someone's garden is not culturally acceptable in the States, let alone here. Mama tells me she sees no other way....
We look back at the garden to marvel at the sight. Mama says this is probably the whole neighborhood's garden. Up the last hill and two sets of stairs. We see the BIG Buddha. "BIG BIG BUDDHA. I in it? Inside Buddha, please." Mama tries to explain that you can't go inside all the Buddhas, just the one we saw last week. We search desperately for a bathroom. Here is what we find. You don't see a door, do you? Neither do we. I take a minute to run around while Mama airs out her shirt in the tree. Yup, a tree. So embarrassing.
Ok, aired out and relieved, we are on our way. "BIG BUDDHA! Oh, Statoo, look statoo. Scary face statoo. Careful, Mama!"
More statues! Mama is going to look up what they are for, but really we don't care much. It is great just to be at the top of this Mt. Fuji. There are no signs, no way to know what exactly this is all for. We know it's a temple and we have seen the "ok" hands before. They are apparently for welcoming the dead. I guess that's a good thing because there are tons of graves on this hill. The grumpy face ball statue is pretty funny too. We are trying to figure out why they put bushes in front of the statues. Hmm? While Mama takes tons of pictures, I find some ant hills to play in. Mama is not impressed.
The pagoda at the top! Mission accomplished. Good thing, because it looks like it's getting late.
We wander through the neighborhoods back to the train. Mama doesn't know where we are, but she knows what direction we came from. She doesn't wear a watch, but we know what time it is because the dinner bell just rang. It's 5pm. Kids go running back home and you see adults making their way back too. We witness some mamas shooing their babies inside while they shout goodbyes to their friends. We pass a couple neighbors laughing and talking and inching away from each other the way you do when you want to keep talking, but you really have to go. A family is going by with a giggling preschooler who is taunting his much older sister or cousin with his plastic sword. She chases him down the street and scoops him up with playful laughter. The mama just nods over to us with a smile and the neighbors who are talking cheer the young one on as we walk past. We all smile and laugh because this is the best time of day. It is the time everyone returns to their family for some food, some fun, and some love. You don't have to understand the language to understand the peaceful surrender to the dinner bell. We look around knowing this is one of our last days here. We almost feel like we belong.
A live-in tree house? "I go in it, Mama? Stairs myself?" Mama says it looks unsafe. Blast.
Do you see the hill in the middle? There is a red building at the top, that is the pagoda we went to. I'm glad Mama is adventurous, because it was a little more strenuous than we originally imagined. However, it was well worth every effort. What a great day.
We ride the train to a snack and a playground. Harumaki (spring roll) and deep fried horse mackerel is what we found to eat. YUM! "Nother bite, please. Fish one, no beeto one. I like beeto! Mama, more beeto too?" I put my face very close to Mama's so she really hears me! She laughs and spits a little fish into my eyes. I blink and rub it off then start fake laughing mimic her and now Mama is laughing harder. I only play for a few minutes. It is time to get Mama home. She is delirious from all the sun today. We should have brought more water, I guess.
We slowly make our way home before dark. The last bit of an adventure is always the hardest. Sad to be leaving, but happy to move on to new adventures. These are the moments life is built on.
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