Fuji-Q Highland — Attraction in Fujiyoshida

Ok so some mixed feelings about this one.

Maybe I had too high expectations beforehand, but even though I left having gone on all the major coasters, Fujiyama, Takabisha, Eejanaika and Zokkon (we'll get to those in a while) I left with some mixed feelings. Some about the rides, some about the overall park experience.

This will be reviewed from the perspective of being an international visitor with a lot of previous thrill rides, coasters and parks from all over the world, albeit mostly Europe and the US previously.

So the first thing. The park app is not available outside the Japan AppStore. If you're an Android user you can probably sideload the APK but doubt the majority of people know how to do this. This means you can't actually use it at all to look at waiting times, info, order express passes etc. A major letdown. Reloading a mobile page that always defaults to Japanese and having to navigate it and use the browser built in translation is less than ideal. I got it to work decently in the end but I do work in IT and is quite comfortable in fiddling around with these things. A more "normal" user would most certainly be completely lost and having to use ticket machines and ticket offices.

A lot of official information in the park is not available in any other language than Japanese. There's not really a clear line here either. Safety information during the rides is given in Japanese and there's basic information added in English for others. As mentioned we're accustomed to a lot of thrill rides so know and understand the concept anyway but I'm sure there was a lot of details we missed.

Staff know from little to no English at all. They do use automatic translation devices and mobile apps when needed and as always in Japan they are very accommodating but if you have a lot of international visitors maybe the level should be a little bit better?

Most stores and food shops have automatic ticket machines you order from. They are in Japanese only (!?) and in the food court where there is like ten different places to choose from with their respective menus this becomes quite the challenge. Why on earth would you do this? Makes absolutely no sense.

Park opening times are quite limited. We went on the first Saturday in August and opening times are 9-19. The sun sets at 19 so guessing that's why but I really don't understand this to be honest. There's a lot of nice attractions with lights and stuff that would be really cool to ride and experience in the dark and most if not all other parks do this routinely. Also a lot of rides close a lot earlier than 19, some as early as 15... so you need to keep track of the individual operating details for each ride you're interested in. (Again, would be great if you could use the app for that...)

Another quirk is the ticketing. Entrance is free (but you still need to get a 0 yen ticket before entering if you don't plan on riding anything. If you order online you can choose between QR-code or face recognition. What it doesn't say is that if you choose QR you still need to register your face when entering the park. This goes for everyone. There's a small photo booth at the entrance and if you have a qr code you scan that first and then take your picture and the picture is then linked to your ticket (if you have a daily pass for example). Then once you are at an attraction you just show your face in a scanner and get validated. That part was really smooth.

About the rides. Fujiyama seriously feels old and desperately needs retracking! The whiplash during the ride is really bad. It's super fast but really uncomfortable so be prepared! Takabisha is awesome, but also a bit rough. I enjoyed the initial part after launch more than the dive to be honest. Eejanaika is every bit as intense as projected and the top ride here. On par with X2 in Magic Mountain. The G's are crazy especially the end. Zokkon was the most positive surprise. Really fast, smooth and enjoyable. The park should really look to emulate that feel in their classic rides a bit more.

Time for some...

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an avid theme park fan. I’ve visited theme parks all over the world (well over 50) so I like to think I know my stuff when it comes to roller coasters. Fuji Q Highland has been on my bucket list for a number of years, as I unfortunately missed it during my last visit to Japan. So, I was understandably excited to experience it when I returned to Japan in 2023!

I’ll start with the positive elements of the park, with the first being its location. I’ve never seen a theme park that has such an incredible backdrop. Almost every single ride gives you the most amazing view of Mt Fuji. When we visited it was a cold but clear day in December, so it was in full view. The park is also spotlessly clean and was well looked after.

The rides I experienced when visiting were very good, but there were some standout attractions that really took me by surprise. Fujiyama which is nicknamed the ‘king of coasters’ was extremely forceful but great fun. As soon as you leave the lift hill it’s non-stop, and I loved it, even if it is a little rough in places. Takabisha was also a very smooth 121 degree, beyond vertical drop roller coaster. It also featured a 100km launch which was incredible. Their new roller coaster Zokkon was also very good, with multiple launches, a backwards drop section and more.

There are however some negatives which did massively impact my day out. Theme parks operate all over the world, and as I mentioned, I’ve visited parks all over the world 100’s of times – but Fuji Q has to be the worst operations out of any theme park I’ve ever visited.

Queues are agonisingly slow, because of a combination of a number of factors. These include excessive safety briefings, facial recognition cameras for entry and inefficient loading of available trains. Zokkon, when we visited on a quiet day in December, had a 120-minute queue and using only one train. It honestly was painful to watch.

We only had an afternoon at the park and even though it was quiet we only managed 5 rides. 5 hours, for 5 rides, and that was also paying for a ‘Priority Pass’ for Zokkon. The Priority Pass was very expensive (2300 JPY) but was necessary as otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to ride it. There seemed to a lot of closed attractions that were closed for maintenance, but these weren’t advertised on the website.

I would argue that Fuji Q is an amusement park, not a theme park, as outside of Thomas Land, there is very little theming. Don’t go expecting Disneyland – as you will be disappointed.

My final gripe is the park shuts at the advertised time, so if a queue is 2 hours, the ride queue will shut 2 hours before the park. It’s worth bearing in mind if you’re visiting and wanting to ride something specific.

Overall, we got on everything we wanted to during our visit, but we did need to utilise the Priority Ticket system which was expensive. It was a fun but frustrating experience, so if you’re planning a visit, be...

If you love roller coasters, you should definitely visit Fuji-Q Highland! There are many exciting and thrilling rides to enjoy.

There are also many food options inside the park — and surprisingly, everything we tried was really delicious! I really wish theme parks in my country had this many food choices that actually taste good.

You can buy priority tickets (fast passes) inside the park, at the specific rides. Prices range from 1,500 to 3,000 yen depending on the ride. These are very helpful if you don’t want to wait too long in line.

There are lots of places to sit and eat too. You can take away your food and enjoy it while relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view of Mount Fuji — which is right next to the theme park!

Parking for the whole day is 2,000 yen. If you’re driving, try to park at P1. It’s one of the closest car parks, and the souvenir shop there is amazing. It’s also near many dessert shops!

The park also has rides for kids and families, but it’s best if you’re able to enjoy most of the bigger rides to make your visit worth it. Still, many people just come to relax, have a picnic, and enjoy the scenery.

The safety checks for rides are very strict and well done — which is great. Sometimes the rides are delayed because of this, but it shows how much they care about visitors’ safety.

Can buy ticket from klook and then get the tickets using the QR code at the machine near the entrance. Very convenient!

Cons: We didn’t know about the priority tickets until we arrived. Luckily, we managed to buy one for a big roller coaster. Some queues are very long — between 90 to even 190 minutes, depending on the ride. Priority tickets are limited and may sell out fast so it’s good to check in advance or head straight to the ride you want first.

The park normally opens from 9 AM to 6 PM. During Golden Week, it was extended to 9 PM. If you spend a long time in line for a few popular rides, you might not have time to enjoy the rest of the park unless you’re just focusing on the big coasters.

The weather can change quickly, and some rides may close during strong wind or rain.

Not all staff speak English, so its better to know a bit of Japanese or have a translation app ready.

I expected more from the Naruto Boruto section, kinda...