Fuji, Shizuoka

History

During the Edo period, the Tōkaidō road passed through the area, with a post station at Yoshiwara-juku, and most of the territory was under direct Tokugawa shogunate control. In the Meiji period, the area was reorganized into the town of Yoshiwara and several villages within Fuji District. The town of Fuji was created on August 1, 1929, from Kajima. Yoshiwara became a city on April 1, 1948, and expanded through annexations in the 1950s.

On March 31, 1954, Tagoura and Iwamatsu merged with Fuji to form the city of Fuji. On November 1, 1966, Fuji, Yoshiwara, and Takaoka merged to create the new city of Fuji, which became a Special City on April 1, 2001. The town of Fujikawa was merged into Fuji on November 1, 2008.

Geography

Fuji lies on the banks of the Fuji River, and much of the city has views of Mount Fuji, part of whose summit falls within the city borders. To the south, the city is bordered by Suruga Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The climate is classified as humid subtropical, with hot, humid summers and mild winters; the average annual temperature is 16.2 °C, and annual rainfall averages 2159.1 mm.

Education

The city operates 27 public elementary schools and 16 public junior high schools. There are four public high schools run by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education and one public high school operated by the city government, plus one private high school and one private combined middle/high school. One international school, Escola Fuji, serves the Brazilian community. Tokoha University maintains a secondary campus in Fuji.

Did You Know?

• Fuji has a mayor-council government with a 32-member unicameral city legislature.
• The city contributes five members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.
• Automobile parts manufacturer Jatco is headquartered in Fuji.