Skip to content
Japan
Deutsche Version

Yamanashi · City

Fujiyoshida

富士吉田市ふじよしだしFujiyoshida-shi

The pilgrims' gateway on Fuji's northern slope

Fujiyoshida is a city at the northern foot of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, historically the starting point of the Yoshida trail for pilgrims climbing the mountain. Its shrine Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja and its oshi pilgrim houses are part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site, and the city is known for the Yoshida Fire Festival and Yoshida udon.

Overview

Fujiyoshida lies on the gently sloping lava plain north of Mount Fuji at around 750 to 850 metres, between the summit and Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka. The mountain dominates every view; its main street, Honchō-dōri, runs straight towards the peak.

From the Edo period onwards, Kamiyoshida was the principal base for pilgrims of the Fuji-kō confraternities from Edo and eastern Japan. They lodged with oshi, priest-innkeepers who performed rites and guided them up the mountain, before setting off from the great shrine of Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja along the Yoshida trail. Several oshi houses and the shrine form part of the World Heritage Site Fujisan.

The cool, humid climate and spring water also made the area a weaving centre, part of the Gunnai textile region, producing fine silk linings, neckties and umbrella fabrics. Today the city is a hub for Fuji tourism, with the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, the Chūreitō pagoda view and access to the Fifth Station.

Landmarks

  • Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja

    北口本宮冨士浅間神社Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja

    Cedar-lined shrine at the start of the Yoshida trail, with a great wooden torii and Momoyama-period halls.

  • Chūreitō and Arakurayama Sengen Park

    新倉山浅間公園 忠霊塔Arakurayama Sengen Kōen Chūreitō

    Five-storey memorial pagoda on a hillside with Fuji behind it, a classic view in cherry-blossom season.

  • Former Togawa Family Residence

    旧外川家住宅Kyū Togawa-ke jūtaku

    Oshi house of 1768, open as a museum and part of the World Heritage property.

  • Honchō-dōri

    本町通りHonchō-dōri

    The old pilgrim street of Kamiyoshida, rising straight towards Fuji.

  • Fujisan Museum

    ふじさんミュージアムFujisan Myūjiamu

    City museum on Fuji worship, the oshi and the Fuji-kō.

  • Fuji-Q Highland

    富士急ハイランドFuji-Kyū Hairando

    Amusement park at the foot of Fuji known for its roller coasters.

Districts

  • Kamiyoshida

    上吉田Kamiyoshida

    The historic oshi town between the station and the shrine.

  • Shimoyoshida

    下吉田Shimoyoshida

    Weaving and shopping district with retro Shōwa-era streets and the Arakurayama park.

  • Fujisan Station area

    富士山駅Fujisan-eki

    Railway and bus hub for the northern side of the mountain.

History

Worship of Fuji at the northern foot is recorded from the early medieval period. In 1572 the village of Kamiyoshida was relocated and laid out as a planned town of long, narrow plots for the oshi houses, which flourished with the spread of Fuji-kō in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The ascetic Jikigyō Miroku, who died fasting on the mountain in 1733, inspired much of this movement.

The Fuji Kyūkō railway from Ōtsuki reached the town in 1929, and Fujiyoshida became a city in 1951. The Fuji Subaru Line road to the Fifth Station, opened in 1964, changed the pattern of climbing, and in 2013 the shrine, oshi houses and trail were inscribed as part of Fujisan.

  1. 1572

    Kamiyoshida is laid out as a town for the oshi pilgrim houses.

  2. 1615

    The main hall of Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja is built.

  3. 1733

    Jikigyō Miroku dies fasting on Fuji, inspiring the Fuji-kō movement.

  4. 1929

    The Fuji Kyūkō railway opens from Ōtsuki.

  5. 1951

    Fujiyoshida is incorporated as a city.

  6. 1963

    The Chūreitō memorial pagoda is built in Arakurayama Sengen Park.

  7. 1964

    The Fuji Subaru Line opens to the Fifth Station.

  8. 2012

    The Yoshida Fire Festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

  9. 2013

    The shrine, oshi houses and Yoshida trail are inscribed as part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site.

Culture

Fujiyoshida's culture is that of a pilgrim town. Oshi houses still line Kamiyoshida, some marked by small streams running through their gardens where pilgrims purified themselves before the ascent. The Yoshida Fire Festival, held jointly by Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja and Suwa Shrine at the close of the climbing season, sets the town alight with torches. The Gunnai weaving tradition continues in small mills producing high-quality fabrics, and the city promotes it through textile events and workshops.

Festivals

  • Yoshida Fire Festival

    吉田の火祭りYoshida no Himatsuri

    On 26 and 27 August, dozens of giant torches and countless smaller fires are lit along the pilgrim street.

  • Fuji mountain opening

    開山祭kaizansai

    Rites at Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja marking the start of the climbing season on the Yoshida trail.

Food

  • Yoshida udon

    吉田のうどんYoshida no udon

    Thick, very firm noodles in a soy and miso broth with cabbage and sweet-simmered horse meat, served at dozens of small shops.

  • Suridane

    すりだねsuridane

    Spicy paste of chilli and sesame added to Yoshida udon.

  • Hōtō

    ほうとうhōtō

    Yamanashi's miso noodle stew, a staple of the Fuji area.

Getting around

  • Fujisan Station is on the Fuji Kyūkō line from Ōtsuki (JR Chūō Line); some trains run through from Shinjuku.
  • Express buses run from Shinjuku and Tokyo to Fujisan Station and Fuji-Q Highland in around two hours.
  • In the climbing season, buses run from Fujisan Station to the Fuji Subaru Line Fifth Station, starting point of the Yoshida trail.
  • Local loop buses link Fujiyoshida with Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka and Oshino Hakkai.

Day trips

  • Lake Kawaguchi

    河口湖Kawaguchi-ko

    The most visited of the Fuji Five Lakes, one station away.

  • Oshino Hakkai

    忍野八海Oshino Hakkai

    Eight spring-fed ponds of Fuji meltwater, part of the World Heritage property.

  • Lake Yamanaka

    山中湖Yamanaka-ko

    Largest and highest of the Fuji Five Lakes.

  • Mount Fuji

    富士山Fuji-san

    Ascent by the Yoshida trail from the Fifth Station in the climbing season.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalKōfuKōfu-shiThe Takeda capital in the Kōfu BasinTownFujikawaguchikoFujikawaguchiko-machiFour of the Fuji Five Lakes beneath the mountain's northern face

Frequently asked questions

Where is the famous pagoda view of Mount Fuji?

At Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, reached from Shimoyoshida Station on the Fuji Kyūkō line followed by a climb of about 400 steps to the Chūreitō.

Can I start climbing Fuji from Fujiyoshida?

Yes. The historic Yoshida trail begins at Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja, though most climbers take a bus to the Fifth Station; a climbing fee, reservation system and time rules apply on the Yamanashi side, published by the prefecture.

What is Yoshida udon?

Fujiyoshida's local udon: thick, very firm noodles in a soy-miso broth, typically topped with cabbage and horse meat and spiced with suridane chilli paste.

When is the Yoshida Fire Festival?

Every year on 26 and 27 August, marking the end of the official climbing season on Fuji.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.富士吉田市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 富士吉田市
  3. 3.Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Editorial team · Published: