Mizugatsuka Park is located in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture at the base of Mt. Fuji. In the summer it serves as a base for climbing Mt. Fuji, and climbers can board a shuttle bus that will take them from the park to the Fifth Station. A lot of nature remains around Mizugatsuka Park, and the promenade and observation deck offer magnificent views of the seemingly endless greenery of Mt. Fuji. It also has good transportation access, and can easily be reached – with no chance of getting lost – by taking the Tomei Expressway to the Fujisan Skyline road. Read on and I’ll tell you more of what makes Mizugatsuka Park so special!
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So powerful! When looking from Mizugatsuka Park, wintry Mt. Fuji seems to tower over you
And that’s what’s great about the view from Mizugatsuka Park. Compared to the view from the foot of the mountain, Mt. Fuji looks several times bigger when seen from up here! The thick trees obscure the view as you approach by car, but just as you catch your breath upon arriving at the park’s parking lot, the mountain seems to leap into your field of vision. I came to report on the park in February, and the view of Mt. Fuji, completely white with snow, was truly something to behold.
Mt. Fuji as seen from the Second Station. From this angle, you truly feel the power of the mountain
When seen from the Shizuoka Prefecture side, the view of Mt. Fuji famously includes Mt. Hoei on the right side of Mt. Fuji.
When looking at Mt. Fuji from Mizugatsuka Park, Mt. Hoei is directly in front of you. You can also clearly see an indentation next to Mt. Hoei. Known as the Hoei Crater, these are the remains of a crater from a past eruption. This was a different expression of Mt. Fuji, unlike the familiar Mt. Fuji I knew from before, and in seeing it, I felt like I witnessed firsthand the power of nature. Mt. Fuji shows you a different aspect of itself, depending on where you view it from, and that’s one of the things that makes Mt. Fuji continue to appeal to so many.
First, let’s catch our breath at the Forest Station Mt. Fuji
Within the park stands a facility called the Forest Station Mt. Fuji, where you can buy gift souvenirs and have a meal. There are also shops where you can buy souvenirs, including Mt. Fuji-related merchandise and food products.
Popular among the kids! Sledding on the ski slopes!
The thing to do at Mizugatsuka Park is to go sledding.
When you leave the parking lot and pass under the “Snow Play Area” gate, you will find an open space with a gentle slope. The kids love sledding! It sure looks like a lot of fun!
There are around three areas where you can go sledding. On the day that I went, there weren’t many other people around, but it seems that it can get quite crowded in the snowy season, so if you bring small children, make sure not to let them out of your sight.
It’s nice that there’s a ski slope where children can play their hearts out for free, isn’t it?
Off to the “Meeting Area” in pursuit of more picturesque views!
After going through the Snow Play Area gate, we head to the Meeting Area (Fureai Hiroba) gate!
And then…
We notice a peculiar sign…
Heading for Koshikirizuka
I was a bit surprised by the unfamiliar name, but the sign says it should take 20 minutes, so let’s give it a shot!
If we follow the posted signs…
…we come across a looong stairway! It should give us a nice workout, so we keep going.
We’ve arrived! This is Koshikirizuka.
It did indeed take around 20 minutes to get here from that first sign, but those 20 minutes were too intense! I don’t get enough exercise in my daily life, so all those stairs and slopes were pretty tough to handle. Although I’m out of breath, I’ll climb up to the observation deck.
As you can see from the information board, Mizugatsuka Park is not far from the summit of Mt. Fuji.
You’ll understand when you try climbing the mountain, but it might be a good idea to keep track of your own whereabouts by looking at these signs so that you don’t get lost.
Summary
As I wrote at the beginning of this article, one of the things that makes Mt. Fuji so appealing is that it has so many different expressions of itself to show you.
How does Mt. Fuji look to you when you look at it from Mizugatsuka Park? Those who want to feel Mt. Fuji from up close should definitely pay a visit to Mizugatsuka Park!
Just remember to drive carefully, especially in winter. The roads can freeze over, so make sure to be prepared with winter tires and whatever else you need.