Mount Fuji and one of its surrounding lakes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2eA8C4VU-nhHqYbWrFuxM_ZP7ncLM0WNxng4cnArMSQn-cCE3C87CLg3SCwF4RJuXv-T55qSK1r0DdXam7zm3j0boyXgQFI0lnUeBP4pyOQQpk0X1oaMLFghaZzJlLtdHDisZh267x8/s400/DSCF7285.jpg)
Hiking Mt. Fuji with kids was completely out of the question, but hiking up a neighboring (and much smaller) mountain was fun...
...and gave us some fantastic views.
A triumphant Nina and her dad, near the top of the climb.
Triumph all around, at the very top of the mountain. There was some whining and complaining on the way up (Honeycutt-Dills only, none from the Sugiyama-Allen kids), but all of them were thrilled with their accomplishment when they made it to the top.
Juniper leaving some coins as an offering at the Shinto shrine on top of the mountain. It is hard to imagine that a similar spot in America would have a shrine or monument so well cared for, or that the monetary offerings would be so safe.
On the way back down!
Not pictured: Hazel arriving at the very bottom wearing no pants, with her jacket tied around her waist for modesty. She went down the steepest part of the mountain on her bum and picked up some unwelcome prickly burrs.