Arriving at the Park
Leaving Qingcun, the car arrived at Fuji-Q Highland at 8:20.
Fuji-Q Highland opens at 9:00. Arriving early to queue helps avoid crowds; we were third in line.
Fuji-Q Highland is located at Shin-Nishihara 5-chome, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, on the northern foothills of Mount Fuji. It opened in 1968, and many of its attractions hold Guinness World Records.
FUJIYAMA, built in 1996, has a maximum drop of 70 meters and held four world records.
Takabisha, which began operating in 2011, has a 121-degree drop, making it the steepest roller coaster in the world.
Eejanaika ranks first in the world with 14 inversions.
There are other Guinness World Records in the park as well; we won’t list them one by one.
Thomas Land
After the park opened, we first went to Thomas Land, mainly to accompany the grandson and granddaughter to play.
Thomas Land opened in 1998 and is the world’s first outdoor park themed around “Thomas & Friends”.
Rainy Day at the Park
Rainy Day at the Park
The forecast said there would be rain today. After we played half of the rides in Thomas Land, a light drizzle began.
Waiting for the Rain to Stop at the Park
We bought ice cream for the grandson and granddaughter at an ice cream shop, then found an Italian pasta restaurant to eat something, waiting for the rain to stop.
Rocky Mountain Water Ride
The Rocky Mountain water ride began operating in 2008; it is a type of shoot-the-chute. The lucky cat couple in the fountain pool has been certified as “the world's largest lucky cat couple”.
Children didn’t meet the age and height requirements, so they couldn’t ride. My son and daughter-in-law put on the raincoats provided by the park and rode a lap.
Other Facilities in the Park
Walking from Thomas Land to another area, we passed a wisteria trellis. The wisteria on both sides was thick, and the trees were clearly old. Surprisingly, mushrooms were growing on the trees. I’ve seen willow mushrooms, elm mushrooms, birch mushrooms, but wisteria mushrooms were a first for me!
We didn’t go into the haunted house, afraid of scaring the grandson and granddaughter.
In other areas we saw reproductions of anime scenes, such as Naruto riding on a big toad, and so on.
Shrines, roller coasters, Ferris wheel……
In a small plaza, we watched a dog beauty contest for a while; many dog lovers led their dogs to participate, and the winners were overjoyed……
On the artificial turf, there were displays shaped like gourds and pumpkins.
The grandson and granddaughter rolled on the lawn and ran around wildly.
A group of teenagers really liked them, kept them company, held them for photos, and bought them chocolate……
After tasting ice cream at the restaurant next to Fuji Airways, we left Fuji-Q Highland and drove back to Tokyo.
A Little Episode on the Way Back
On the way back to the city we passed a supermarket and went in to buy some juice and snacks for the grandchildren. My son and I had a smoke in the smoking area.
When we returned to the car, the steering wheel was locked. We called the rental company; they said a lot but didn’t solve the problem. In the end, my son searched on Baidu, and after yanking the steering wheel hard a few times, it returned to normal!
Back in Edogawa Ward, we filled up at a gas station, returned the car, walked to a Beef-Pork-Chicken restaurant for dinner, and when we looked at the watch, it was already 19:50.
After dinner we left, strolled for about ten minutes, and went home.
Souvenirs
Back home, we took out the commemorative plates, bowls, chopsticks, and the Jelly Bean Magic Wand we bought for the grandson and granddaughter. They were all from shops in the park, chosen by the kids themselves.
The grandson likes the No. 6 engine Percy, and the granddaughter likes the No. 1 engine Thomas, so we bought the corresponding items for them.
