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Fujikawaguchiko 富士河口湖町
Town
DowntownLake KawaguchiMount FujiFuji Omuro Sengen ShrineTown HallLake Sai Bat Cave
FlagSeal
Location of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture
Fujikawaguchiko
Coordinates: 35°29′50.1″N 138°45′17.8″E / 35.497250°N 138.754944°E / 35.497250; 138.754944
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu Tōkai
Prefecture	Yamanashi Prefecture
District	Minamitsuru
Government
• Mayor	Hideyuki Watanabe
Area
• Total	158.40 km (61.16 sq mi)
Population
• Total	26,540
• Density	170/km (430/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0555-72-1111
Address	1700 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko-machi Minimitsuru-gun, Yamanashi-ken 401-0392
Climate	Cfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Varied tit
Flower	Oenothera
Tree	Japanese red pine

Fujikawaguchiko (富士河口湖町, Fujikawaguchiko-machi) is a town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the town had an estimated population of 26,542 in 10,618 households, and a population density of 170 persons per km. The total area of the town is 158.40 square kilometres (61.16 sq mi).

Geography

Fujikawaguchiko is located in southern Yamanashi Prefecture, in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Three of the Fuji Five Lakes (Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai and Lake Shōji) are located in Fujikawaguchiko. Lake Motosu is shared with neighboring Minobu.

Neighboring municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture:

• Fujinomiya

Yamanashi Prefecture:

• Fuefuki
• Fujiyoshida
• Kōfu
• Minobu
• Narusawa
• Nishikatsura
• Ōtsuki
• Tsuru

Climate

Fujikawaguchiko features a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa, bordering on Dfb) that closely borders on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average annual temperature in Fujikawaguchiko is 10.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1663 mm with September as the wettest month.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Fujikawaguchiko grown slightly in recent decades.

History

The area around Lake Kawaguchi has been inhabited since at least the Jōmon period. It was on the road connecting Kai Province with Suruga Province, and is mentioned in Heian period records, which also document an eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 AD. During the Edo period, all of Kai Province was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period on July 1, 1889, the area came under the jurisdiction of Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture.

On 15 November 2003, the town of Kawaguchiko, and the villages of Katsuyama and Ashiwada merged to form the new town of Fujikawaguchiko. The headquarters of the infamous Aum Shinrikyo was located in the village of Kamikuishiki, most of which was absorbed into Fujikawaguchiko on 1 March 2006.

In May 2024, Fujikawaguchiko erected a large black barrier to block the iconic view of Mount Fuji due to a surge in tourists drawn by the town's popularity on social media platforms like Instagram. Installed on May 21, this measure followed complaints of disruptive behavior from tourists, including harassment of locals, littering, and trespassing. Even businesses unrelated to tourism, such as a dental clinic, had been affected, prompting them to seek intervention from local authorities. Unlike specific attractions, Fujikawaguchiko's issue stems from a viewpoint favored for capturing Mount Fuji, located in front of a convenience store. Most visitors opt for day trips, contributing to traffic congestion and environmental damage without significant financial benefits to the town.

Education

Fujikawaguchiko has eight public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, along with one private elementary school and one private junior high school. The town has one public high school operated by the Yamanashi Prefectural Board of Education. The Health Science University, a private medical school, is located in Fujikawaguchiko.

Transportation

Railway

• Fujikyuko Line
  • Fujikyu-Highland -Kawaguchiko.

Highway

• Chūō Expressway
• National Route 137
• National Route 139
• National Route 300
• National Route 358

Local attractions

• The toy museum of Teruhisa Kitahara
• Fuji Five Lakes
• The sound of wild birds at Lake Sai was designated as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan by the Ministry of the Environment

References

1. Fujikawaguchiko town official statistics(in Japanese)
2. "Fujikawaguchiko climate: Temperature Fujikawaguchiko & Weather By Month". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
3. 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
4. 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
5. "Yamanashi (Japan): Cities, Towns and Villages in Prefecture - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
6. Marcus, Lilit (2024-05-21). "Japanese town overrun with tourists puts up view-blocking barrier near Mount Fuji". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
7. "100 Soundscapes of Japan". Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 8 December 2015.

External links

Media related to Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)

v t e Yamanashi Prefecture
Kōfu (capital)
Core city	Kōfu
Cities	Chūō Fuefuki Fujiyoshida Hokuto Kai Kōshū Minami-Alps Nirasaki Ōtsuki Tsuru Uenohara Yamanashi
Districts	Kitatsuru District Kosuge Tabayama Minamikoma District Hayakawa Fujikawa Minobu Nanbu Minamitsuru District Dōshi Fujikawaguchiko Narusawa Nishikatsura Oshino Yamanakako Nakakoma District Shōwa Nishiyatsushiro District Ichikawamisato
Former Districts	Higashiyamanashi District Higashiyatsushiro District Nishiyamanashi District Kitakoma District
List of mergers in Yamanashi Prefecture

• Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi
• Towns in Yamanashi Prefecture