Fujinomiya is the temple town of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, which worships Mount Fuji to calm its fury. Traditionally, pilgrimmages to climb the mountain have started from this city.
In 2013, Mount Fuji was given UNESCO World Heritage status for its cultural heritage. The designation includes 25 sites. In addition to the 3776m mountain itself, nearby attractions such as Lake Kawaguchi, Oshino Hakkai, and a number of Shinto shrines are part of the heritage site.
The Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre opened in 2017 with a museum and outdoor viewing deck. You slowly make your way up the 5-storey building along a spiral ramp to reach the terrace with exhibits along the way. Admission is a fairly affordable 300 yen (2026 price).
Views from the terrace are spectacular, and the crowds thin out substantially compared to the street level.
The floor is paved with a substance that reflects the light, making it look like there is a pool of water ahead of you.
Fuji can be quite an elusive mountain. While it can be sunny along the coast, the top can be shrouded in clouds, so it's always a bit of luck to try to spot it.
Unfortunately, English descriptions of the items on display in the museum are a bit sparse.
This is a record of climbers using the Suyama mountain trail from the 1830s and 40s.
These documents indicate the climbers have the entrance fee.
This is a 1910 guide map for climbing the mountain and its shrines.
This is a guide map from 1918.
This is a guestbook of the Matsuya Ryokan in front of Gotemba station from the early 20th century.
