is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in central

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 132,507 in 56,655 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 340 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

History

The city name comes from the former shrine name of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha, "Fujinomiya". It is an ancient settlement that developed as a prosperous ''toriimae-machi'' (town in front of

torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...

) of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha, where the Fuji clan served as the

high priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...

of the shrine. Nearby is the sanctuary of

Taiseki-ji , more commonly just , informally known as , is the administrative center of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. It is located in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Kamijo, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nikkō Sh ...

temple, founded in 1290 by

Nikkō Shōnin , Buddhist name , was one of the six senior disciples of Nichiren and was the former Chief Priest of Kuon-ji temple in Mount Minobu, Japan. Various Nichiren sects in Japan claim to have been founded by Nikkō, the most prominent being Nichiren S ...

as the headquarters of

Nichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the traditionalist teachings of the 13th century Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhist Bhikkhu#Monks in Japan, priest Nichiren (1222–1282), claiming him as its founder through his senior disciple Nikk ...

Buddhism. Fujinomiya is closely related to Mount Fuji, and was located in the crossroad of Ōmiya and Murayamaguchi mountain pilgrimage trails. During the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

, the hunting event Fuji no Makigari arranged by

shogun , officially , was the title of the military aristocracy, rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor of Japan, Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, exc ...

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako ...

was held in the ancient region of Fujino, where the

Revenge of the Soga Brothers The Revenge of the Soga Brothers (曾我兄弟の仇討ち, ''Soga kyōdai no adauchi'') was a vengeance incident on 28 June 1193, during the Fuji no Makigari hunting event arranged by shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. The Soga brothers, Soga Sukenari ...

incident also took place. These events were disseminated as historical materials such as ''Ōrai Mono'' (historical primary education textbooks created mainly in the form of letters), and as the subject of entertainment such as

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. It is Japan's oldest major theater art that is still regularly performed today. Noh is often based on tales from traditional literature featuri ...

, and ''jōruri''. Fujinomiya was a

post town A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in t ...

(fortified during the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

) on the primary route connecting Suruga with Kai Province. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the area was ''

tenryō The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil war ...

'' territory under direct control of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

. British consul Sir

Rutherford Alcock Sir John Rutherford Alcock, KCB (25 May 1809''London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538–1812''2 November 1897) was the first British diplomatic representative to live in Japan. Early life Alcock was born in St ...

made the first recorded ascent on Mount Fuji by a non-Japanese person from Fujinomiya in 1860. During the cadastral reform of the early

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

in 1889, the area was reorganized into Omiya Town and eight villages with

Fuji District, Shizuoka (Japan > Shizuoka Prefecture > Fuji District) was a district located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The district covered the entire area of the city of Fujinomiya and parts of the city of Fuji. Until the day before the dissolution, the distric ...

. On 1 June 1942, the modern city was established with the merger of Omiya town with neighboring Fujioka village. The city expanded by annexing neighboring Fujine village in 1955, and Kitayama, Shiraito, Kamiide and Ueno villages in 1956. The most recent merger was on 23 March 2010, when the town of Shibakawa (from Fuji District) was merged into Fujinomiya.

Geography

Fujinomiya is located in central Shizuoka Prefecture on an upland plateau on the foothills and lower slopes of Mount Fuji, with an altitude ranging from . The average temperature is . Much of the city lies within the borders of

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park covers . Rat ...

. Fujinomiya is known as one of the main starting points for climbing trips to

Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of . It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra), a ...

, the summit of which is partly within the borders of the city. As with most of Shizuoka Prefecture, the area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

*Shizuoka Prefecture ** Fuji **

Gotemba is a city on the southeastern flank of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,370 in 36,096 households, and a population density of 450 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography ...

Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka is the easternmost of the three Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. History Shimizu-ku was created on April 1, 2005, when Shizuoka became a city designated by government ordinance (a " ...

** Oyama *

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

Fujikawaguchiko is a town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 26,542 in 10,618 households, and a population density of 170 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Fujikawaguchiko is located in so ...

Fujiyoshida is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,782 in 19,806 households and a population density of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Fujiyoshida lie ...

** Minobu ** Nanbu ** Narusawa

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Fujinomiya is 14.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1881 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Fujinomiya population statistics
/ref> the population of Fujinomiya has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

Government

Fujinomiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city legislature of 22 members.

Economy

Fujinomiya is an industrial center within Shizuoka Prefecture, traditionally with a heavy emphasis on the

paper industry The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood, specifically pulpwood, as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard, and other cellulose-based products. Manufacturing process In the manufacturing process, pulp is intro ...

. Other manufacturing industries include rotating equipment, automotive parts, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Education

Fujinomiya has 21 public elementary schools and 13 public junior high schools operated by the city government. The city has four public high schools operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education. The city also has one private junior school, and two private high schools. The prefectural Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College is also located in Fujinomiya.

Transportation

Railway

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

Minobu Line The is a railway line in the Tōkai region of Japan operated by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Fuji Station in Fuji, Shizuoka to Kōfu Station in Kōfu, Yamanashi, and the Tōkaidō Main Line with the Chūō Main Li ...

** - - - - -

Highway

* Nishi-Fuji Road (connects to

Tōmei Expressway The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The expressway is designated as E1 under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering", because it parallels Na ...

) * * *

Bus

* Fuji Kyūkō *Fuji-Kyū Shizuoka Bus *Sankō town coach *Fujinomiya Station - Tokyo International Airport Express Bus *Fujinomiya Station -

Tokyo Station Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...

Express Bus *Kyoto/Osaka line Express Bus

Sister cities

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, since July 21, 1975 *

Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...

Zhejiang Province ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, since November 11, 1997

Local attractions

*Fujinomiya is famous for *

Taisekiji , more commonly just , informally known as , is the administrative center of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. It is located in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Kamijo, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nikkō Sh� ...

Temple * Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha * Shiraito Falls *

Asagiri Plateau The is located at the southwest base of Mount Fuji in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The Asagiri Plateau is richly utilized for its pastureland and many dairy farms are situated along it. The elevation of the plateau is generally aroun ...

Lake Tanuki is a lake near Mount Fuji, Japan. It is located in the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropo ...

* Sengo ruins *

Ōshikakubo ruins The is an archaeological site containing the ruins of an Incipient Jōmon period settlement located in the Oshikakubo neighborhood of the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka in the Tōkai region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site ...

* Yamamiya Sengen-jinja

Festivals

Hatsumōde is one of the major Japanese traditions of the new year, which is the first visit to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. Typically taking place on the first, second, or third day of the year, it is meant to bring a ...

(Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha) *Yabusame (Horseback archery) Festival (May 4, 5, 6) *Oyamabiraki (opening of climbing season) July 1 *Gojinka-festival (August) *Fujinomiya Autumn Festival (November 3, 4, 5)

Events

* The

13th World Scout Jamboree The was held from August 2 to 10, 1971, on Asagiri Plateau, Asagiri Heights on the western side of Mount Fuji, in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Fujinomiya, Japan, approximately 80 miles southwest of Tokyo. The Jamboree was interrupted by 1971 Pacific ...

was held August 2–10, 1971 on Asagiri Heights on the western side of

. * The 9th

ISF Women's World Championship The Women's Softball World Cup is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held historically every four years, now every two years, by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The tournament, originally known as the ''I ...

was held in Fujinomiya, in 1998.

Noted people from Fujinomiya

Kumiko Akiyoshi (born July 29, 1954), better known as , is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 1st Hochi Film Award for ''Banka'', ''Saraba natsuno hikariyo'' and ''Brother and Sister''. Filmography Films * '' Tabi no omosa'' (1972 ...

- actress *

Mizuki Sano is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and the eldest member of Johnny's Jr., the trainee unit of the well-known talent agency Johnny & Associates. He is perhaps best known for his role in ''Kindaichi Case Files#Live action series, Kindaichi Shoune ...

- singer *

Kōtarō Satomi (born 28 November 1936) is a Japanese actor from the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In 1956, he signed with Toei film company. He appears in both contemporary roles and in the historical dramas known as ''jidaigeki''. Sele ...

- actor *Kaori Shimizu - singer * Takahiro Yamada (

Asian Kung-Fu Generation (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada (musician), Takahiro Yamada, and dr ...

) *

Masaaki Sawanobori is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. Club career Sawanobori was born in Fujinomiya on January 12, 1970. After graduating from Tokai University, he joined new club Shimizu S-Pulse based in his local Shizuoka P ...

- professional soccer player *

Shinsuke Tayama (born October 18, 1982) is a Japanese skeleton racer who has competed since 2001. His best World Cup finish was 15th at Park City, Utah in 2009. Tayama was disqualified at the FIBT World Championships 2009 in the men's skeleton event. He qualif ...

- Olympic athlete *

Toshie Uematsu is a female Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. She was one of the members of the first class of wrestlers trained by Chigusa Nagayo when Nagayo formed the GAEA Japan promotion. Uematsu f ...

- professional wrestler *

Yasuhiro Hiraoka is a Japanese footballer who plays for Ehime FC from 2023. Club career On 18 December 2022, Hiraoka joined to J3 club, Ehime FC commonly known as Ehime FC (愛媛FC, ''Ehime Efu Shī'') is a professional Association football, football cl ...

- professional soccer player *

Yutaka Yoshida is a Japanese footballer who plays as a full back for club Shimizu S-Pulse. National team career In August 2007, Yoshida was elected Japan U-17 national team for 2007 U-17 World Cup. He played full time in all 3 matches as left side-back. ...

- professional soccer player *

Hirotsugu Akaike was a Japanese statistician. In the early 1970s, he formulated the Akaike information criterion (AIC). AIC is now widely used for model selection, which is commonly the most difficult aspect of statistical inference; additionally, AIC is the basi ...

- statistician

Gallery

Image:Fujinomiya-city.jpg, Fujinomiya City File:Fujisan-tozandou.jpg, Climbing Mount Fuji-Fujinomiya routes File:N2 Shiraito Falls 2.jpg, Shiraito Falls File:070127 tanuki-fuji.jpg, Lake Tanuki File:Asagiri_Highland_and_Mount_Fuji.JPG, Asagiri Plateau File:Otodomenotaki.JPG, Otodome Falls File:Wakutamanoike.JPG, Wakutama Springs of Mount Fuji File:Fujinomiya-yakisoba.jpg, Fujinomiya yakisoba

References

External links

*
Official Shizuoka Prefecture homepage

*

Fujinomiya info

Fujinomiya Tourist Association
{{Authority control Cities in Shizuoka Prefecture