Namaskar Indian Restaurant

Good Indian food in a town like Fuji City? I hadn't any hope until a colleague's rave review sent me to Namaskar. A two minute walk from Fuji Station, this tiny place is manned by a true odd couple: a smiley Indian chef and a severe Japanese proprietor/server. The decor is cool but you may have to double over to fit through the elfish bathroom door.

The curry is damn good! And it ain't expensive either. A lunch set includes a choice of curry, salad, drink, and naan or rice for only 950 yen. Add a portion of tandoori chicken and it's just 1200 yen. Dinner is a little more expensive but there's a very nice set with rice/naan and your choice of TWO curries and salad for 1280 yen. Oh and the chai tea seems to make me high. I hope you have the same luck.

Here is the location in case you're ever close to Fuji Station and are fed up of the usual fare.

Iwamotoyama Park

Don't wait until the plum blossoms are almost gone like I did. The end of February is the best time to see them. Lots of photographers apparently go there to get that perfect shot of Fuji with ume blossoms in the foreground.

Iwamotoyama Koen is also a good place for cherry blossoms in the spring. There are hiking trails in the park itself. The walk there, from Fuji Station for example, is definitely not boring. There is also the Iwamatsu Kita community bus service to and from Fuji Station that costs only 300 yen (though I haven't taken it).

Interestingly, there is a group of volunteers who care for the many stray cats at the park. You might want to take some snacks for the hungry kitties if you're headed that way.

The exact location of Iwamotoyama Park is here.

Log house on the way to Iwamotoyama Koen

Trees making love

Purple plum blossoms

Early cherry blossoms (sakura)

Petals fall everywhere like snow

Many different kinds of blossoms

Lovers' stroll

And this is just the last of the blossoms

White plum blossoms

The perfect seat

Fuji Soko Undo Park

Also known as Fuji Soko Undo Koen. It's an athletic park just across the street from both Fuji Tohoka University and this giant shiny dome, which is actually the prefectural swimming complex (available for use by the public at a cost of 500 yen). Fuji Soko Undo Koen is a very big sports park with a stadium, tennis courts, walking/biking trails and more.

Here is the exact location.

The reason I went there, however, was for the great views of Mt. Fuji (not that that's generally a problem in this city). There's a viewing station at the top of a hill in a prime spot.

Here is a lava mound at the park from one of Fuji's past eruptions, with Fuji-san himself in the background.


There is a very limited bus to the park from Yoshiwara Chuo bus station. I'd recommend walking or biking there, though. There is some uphill involved but the views are epic, with vast tea fields laid out before you. Makes you feel very small. *Edit: There are regular buses from Yoshiwara Chuo Station to Obuchi that stop close (0.8 km) to Fuji Soko Undo Koen. You have to get off in Hiromi, about 5 minutes after the Hiromi Koen stop. You'll see a big road sign in English pointing the way.


This picture kind of sums up Fuji City to me: industry against the backdrop of intractable nature.

Cafe Sofarii

Located on Yoshiwarahoncho, very close to Yoshiwara Chuo bus station. The cafe owner lived in Hawaii for a while so there's usually a lot of relaxing island music in the background as well as unique world music tracks. They have live music shows sometimes, as well as hula dancing.

An entire wall of books includes a fair amount of English reading material. Overall, great worn, cosy cafe feel. Fantastic deserts and coffee. There's also a selection of wines. Food is mostly pasta, soups and sandwiches. Prices are about mid range - lunch will cost around 1500 yen and dinner 2000 yen.

Here is the exact location and here is their website (in Japanese).

Koln Jazz Club

Some of the best Japanese and international jazz and blues artists stop by this place from time to time. It was a nice surprise to find it really. There's always a show on Saturday night. It will cost you 1500 yen plus a drink for a local act or more if it's something special. There are live shows during the week sometimes too.
There is a decent drink list and food menu. The mastaa of the joint is friendly and a baddass on bass. It's become my regular Saturday night spot for these reasons and because the music is always soulful. More than that, you can't beat the vibe. You can't help but feel relaxed in a room full of jazz lovers. No snootiness.

Koln is about a 15 minute walk from Yoshiwarahoncho Station on the Gakunan Line (transfer at Yoshiwara Station on the JR). Alternatively, you can get off at the Yoshiwarahoncho bus stop. Here is a map.

And here is the house band doing a cover of Jimmy Reed's Big Boss Man at last week's blues night. The poor audio does no justice to how they actually sound.