Metropolis Japan

February 27, 2012

Fuji-Q Highland

Get your thrills an hour from Tokyo

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2012

My heart pounded as I rose eighty meters towards the crystal blue sky. Time slowed as I reached the summit, to be greeted by one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. Mt. Fuji in all its glory calmed my nervous heart and made me forget where I was. But this peaceful moment was all too brief—violently ruptured by a 130km/h nosedive.

Welcome to Fujiyama, the eighth tallest rollercoaster in the world.

Fuji-Q Highland is a theme park mainly aimed at adults, since its main attractions are rollercoasters that would have even the toughest of men screaming for their mothers. However, that’s not to say they’ve forgotten about the little ones: Thomas Land is a section of the park dedicated solely to young children, where they can enjoy kid-friendly rides or have their pictures taken next to their favorite Thomas the Tank Engine characters. Nevertheless, a fuller family-friendly experience seems possible at rival Disney Land.

But for the hardcore among us without such baggage, there is plenty to get your blood rushing. The main attractions here are the aforementioned Fujiyama, Dodonpa (the fastest accelerating rollercoaster in the world), Eejanaika (the tallest and fastest fourth dimension rollercoaster), and the newly opened Takabisha (containing the steepest freefall to date; more info here).

One of my favorite attractions though, isn’t actually a speeding rollercoaster at all—rather a very slow and terrifying walk in a haunted hospital. This two-story construction is the longest of its kind, taking approximately one hour to complete. As you walk through the deserted operating rooms, flashlight in hand, all kinds of freakish abominations jump out at you from nowhere. I must admit that I was petrified from start to finish.

There are plenty of shops to browse and restaurants to eat at if you want to take a break from all the exciting terror on offer. The food mainly consists of your typical theme-park snacks and fast food, but it gets the job done. The shops sell standard fare: overpriced trinkets and attraction-related goods.

You might just be able to squeeze all the things you want to do in a day, but be prepared to line up for up to—or even over—an hour. To avoid the crowds, try going on a weekday. Buying a one-day pass (¥5,000) allows you to visit each attraction as many times as you want, and means you don’t need to buy tickets separately. And a roundtrip Keio bus package from Shinjuku gives you the whole shebang for ¥7,100, travel included.