Castle Park, Shrine, & Mt. Fuji Views

Explore a park built around a nearly 400-year-old castle, an unusual shrine complex and a coastal pine grove that offers a stunning view of Mount Fuji. You will drive inland to Sunpu Castle Park, an expansive oasis developed around the ruins of a castle where the legendary Shogun warrior Ieyasu once lived. While the moats and walls are original, some of what you will see is a reproduction, including the main gate and the structure from which heavy stones were dropped on invaders. Inside, you will find a bronze statue of Ieyasu with a falcon on his arm.Visit nearby Shizuoka Sengen, a shrine complex that consists of three main shrines and other smaller ones. The architecture is Momoyama, which extensively uses lacquer, wooden carvings and gold leaf. Although the large worship hall and some of the corridors are currently undergoing renovation, the guests can see the beauty of the vermilion lacquered lacquer in the romon gate and the corridors after the renovation is complete. The worship hall offers a spectacular view of snowcapped Mount Fuji looming in the distance (Weather permitted) . Mount Fuji also plays a dominant role as the backdrop for the seaside pine grove Miho no Matsubara. The grove consists of more than 50,000 pine trees, including a 650-year-old tree thought to have mythical powers. The view from the shore with Mount Fuji lording over the scenery has been rated one of the top three views in Japan.