Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park accessible from Tokyo and has not only thrilling roller coaster rides, but a spectacular view of Mount Fuji as well! The amusement park is located at the base of Mount Fuji and breathtaking views of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed while playing at the park!
Fu and I have been to Fuji-Q Highland previously and we loved it, so I thought to bring Zhen there too when she was visiting!
There was a special package promotion going on consisting of return JR train tickets and a one-day free pass to Fuji-Q and it costs us only 7,200yen per person. Considering that the one-day pass alone costs 5,200yen, it’s a super good deal.
We took the train from Shinjuku and took about 2 hours to reach Fuji-Q Highland. Mount Fuji gave us a sneak peak of her beauty when the train was nearing the theme park:
She’s truly a sight to behold. No photo can do her majestic presence justice! (although we still try all the same)
Weather was perfect for a day at the park!
We couldn’t take photos all together because although the park opens at 9am and we arrived at 8.30am, we had to join a queue that was already forming outside the closed counters! So they had to take turns to take photos with me :D
There are 4 Kings in Fuji-Q Highland:
I loved Eejanaika (No. 3) previously, so once we entered the park, we made a beeline for it. Despite being one of the first ones in the park, we had to queue about 20 mins for the ride!
Eejanaika roller coaster ええじゃないか
Eejanaika is a 4D roller coaster, and what this means is that in addition to the twists, turns and drops in the tracks, the seat also spins 360 degrees forwards AND backwards.
Your feet are also freely dangling instead of being encased in the seat.
Did I mention that the entire ride is backwards? :D
Check out this video, which is the rider’s point of view:
Every bit as fun as I remembered it to be! A DEFINITE MUST-TRY!!!
Unanimously voted by the 3 of us as the scariest ride in the park!
Takabisha roller coaster 高飛車
This is the newest roller coaster offering from Fuji-Q Highland and also the current record holder for the steepest roller coaster in the world.
After Eejanaika, Zhen vehemently refused to ride Takabisha. She said… no, make that shrieked “WALAO IT’S SO SCARY!!!”
I think we queued for something like 40mins and she was reading while waiting for us.
HALLO WHERE GOT PEOPLE GO AMUSEMENT PARK READ ONE?!?!! :A
Anyway, I found Takabisha to be rather anti-climatic. I admit, the curvy part looks like it can be quite intimidating, but truth is, the “scary-looking” drop thing is not scary to me at all. The rest of the ride was just a pretty windy trip around the tracks.
Will be taking Takabisha off the list on my next visit to Fuji-Q. Not worth the queuing time!
Fujiyama roller coaster ふじやま
This roller coaster got its namesake from Mount Fuji, and is a play on the occasional wrong translation of the famous mountain, especially by foreigners. (Mount Fuji is pronounced “Fujisan” in Japanese)
I think the name could be also due to the fact that Fujiyama is one of the tallest roller coasters in the world and a splendid view of Mount View can be seen as the roller coaster makes its ascent! (assuming you’re not too freaked out by how high it’s going at that point lol)
There are no loops, but lots of steep climbing and dropping! It’s nanimously voted by us to be the most fun roller coaster in Fuji-Q!
Apart from roller coasters, Fuji-Q Highland also has other interesting attractions!
Tondemina トンデミーナ
A giant circular disc that swings from side to side. Something like a flexible viking.
I find it quite enjoyable because great views of the park and surrounding mountains can be seen! (upside down as well!)
Labyrinth of Fear 最恐戦慄迷宮
Admission to this attraction is not covered by the free pass and requires a 500yen charge. The premise is that of a haunted hospital where you roam the pitch black building in your group of 2 or 3 armed with nothing but a small torchlight.
I never knew before, but I newly discovered how 胆小 Zhen is! We were watching a K-drama and she was freaked out by a spirit that appeared in a ROMANTIC DRAMA =____=
It sounds ridiculous even as I type it, but I’m not kidding! She will cower behind her hands every time the ghost makes an appearance.
The ghost is not even bloody/gory/disfigured or anything!!! She simply has some extra black eyeshadow and liner and bright lights for contrast.
It’s so redonks I can’t even T_T
Anyway, after bailing out on Takabisha, we cajoled her to join us for this. We even paid for her ticket. She eventually succumbed to peer pressure haha.
After we entered the darkened hospital “reception” area, just sitting there waiting for other people (with NOTHING GOING ON) freaked her out -__-
She was chanting “Omgomgomgomgomgomg…”
*glances around furtively*
“OMG WHAT’S THAT?!! LOOK AT THAT THING ON THE TABLE!!!”
Me: “It’s just a fake head. It’s not real.” =__=
“Omgomgomgomgomgomgomg…”
Then we were told to proceed somewhere else according to our groups. From past experience, I remembered it was to take a photo, but since they revamped the attraction, I wasn’t sure if it was the same.
While waiting outside the door, we watched as the couple in front of us headed into the room. There was silence, then a sudden loud BANG! and hissing, followed prompted by shrill screams.
Zhen’s eyes widened to the size of watermelons as she backed away from the door, saying “What’s that?! I don’t want!!!”
I pacified her telling her it’s just taking a photo, and she gingerly headed in with her arms coiled around mine in a deadlock.
This was how the photo turned out.
The loud bang is to scare you as the chair very suddenly and violently drops. The hissing sound comes from the gust of wind that shoots out, which also serves to scare. Unintended side effect of providing me with a new hairstyle. Why does Fu’s hair look so perfect ah?!
You can’t tell from the photo, but Zhen was tugging so hard on my sleeve that my top became an off-shoulder top =____=
We finally started on the maze and the first person that jumped out from behind the curtains scared her to the point of tears. She was so badly affected that she violently protested against continuing and begged to exit.
We had no choice but to backtrack and send her to the exit. But she refused to open the exit door, wanting me to do it in case there were people hiding in wait to scare her. Aiyo, they not so evil to scare someone who’s exiting la!
Fu and I continued on and I walked ahead steadfastly while I could feel him jump at every sound and yelled when people jumped out to scare us. I don’t think he’s particularly scared, but more because he was creating the mood.
I think it’s the mindset we entered with. I viewed it as a test of guts while he went in wanting to be frightened LOL.
Definitely worth a visit! (although we won’t be going again since we’ve went twice)
Ultimate Fort 絶望要塞
This is a maze set up in the form of a huge fortress whereby challengers have to clear missions in order to escape.
I REALLY love stuff like that and was super psyched about this attraction lol.
For the first stage, we are given a blank card and we have to search card readers hidden inside the fortress. The first card reader we insert into will tell us the items we need to find.
We clear the mission when we collect all the items assigned and locate the secret hidden room within 6 mins.
Inserting the card into subsequent card readers will either:
- Give you an item
- Have no response
- Void all your past items collected
This was my card:
Basically, I’m supposed to find a money bag, a map and a candle.
One card reader gave me a map, but the next one nulled all my items (the line of Xs). Then I found 3 other card readers that gave me the money bag, map and candle.
You’d think that because it’s an attraction, they’ll go easy on us and at least let most people pass the first stage right?
WRONG.
The passing rate is close to 0%! Lol.
My card is actually the exception rather than the norm *showoff* ^o^ Fu and Zhen didn’t even locate all the items! But I couldn’t find the blasted hidden room :A
I liked it so much that this was the only thing we played twice, heh.
There were even some hardcore players who were equipped with a book which contains what I imagine are room numbers of the card readers, hidden room and who knows what other information of other stages!
If we had more time I would definitely challenge it a few more times!
Some photos around the park:
Fuji-Q is the best amusement park I’ve been to in Japan (in terms of rides and attractions) and I highly recommend it! Especially if you’re an adrenaline junkie like us ;D
Even if you’re traveling with people who don’t enjoy thriller rides, surely the view of Mount Fuji is compelling enough a reason to visit (while you play!) :D
FUJI-Q HIGHLAND
English website: http://www.fujiq.jp/en/sp
Fuji-Q discount tickets and packages: Japanese page
OMG I really really want to go!!! that backwards roller coaster has been on my mind for years, literally!! Neeeeed to go baack to Japan!!
LET’S GO!!!
Oh, but if you’re coming during winter, I think our faces will just freeze and fall off. Can you imagine all that wind at that speed on your face?!
hahaha true! I did that in Korea once (it was actually quite fun lol.) Maybe can do Japan in (late) autumn some time… mm I’m imagining all the leaves and stuff.
You are mad. Lol.
I love autumn! (just don’t come during typhoon season lol) Weather is cool but not freezing, and of course, autumn leaves are gorgeous!
Hehe. Actually the queuing is the worst part, hard to keep warm standing in line. The actual roller coaster part is over very fast lol. But anyway yeah I do want to go to Japan one autumn. Think 2015 may be the year! When is typhoon season?
Yeah, I agree. Queueing on a normal day is bad enough. The added cold will just make it even more miserable.
I once took a roller coaster during winter at Disney and it was the most traumatic thing I put my face through. I swore never to do it again.
Typhoon season is around Sep. Sometimes it comes by again in Oct, have to see the weather forecasts closer to the period.
OMG. those roller coasters are sick. i would totally take them. are they completely safe?
Well… I returned in one (living) piece, so take it whichever way you will :D
But seriously, I felt there are sufficient precautions in place and the staff are also pretty serious about all the safety checks and all. I didn’t have any feelings of insecurity about the rides.
that Ultimate Fortress attraction seems so interesting! Do you have to know Japanese to understand the game? and is each stage the same, i.e finding card readers?
Really want to go there one day and try!!
Hi Susan, isn’t it?! They loop a video showing the different stages while you’re queuing in line, and you get a good idea of what you’re supposed to do, so I would say it is doable even without any Japanese language ability! Nope, each stage is different! Even *I* want to go back there and re-challenge myself! :D
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