Susono – Fuji Traditions and Landscapes

Susono can be explored through several distinct themes: Fuji faith and historic trails, waterfall and garden culture, and mountain and blossom landscapes. If you’re looking for a hotel in Susono, these highlights can help you get a feel for the destination and tailor your stay to your interests.

Fuji Faith and the Suyama Trail

Suyama Asama Shrine is the starting point of the Suyama Trail, which leads up to the summit area. The trail was already in use during the Muromachi period. In 1486, the travelogue “Kaikoku Zakki” recorded a visit to what was believed to be an entrance to the Suyama Trail. Historically, climbers used the trail to ascend to the summit, perform purification rituals and pray for a safe climb.

Special tours for groups are available on request. After a formal prayer inside the shrine, a local guide explains the history of Fuji faith, the shrine’s sights and the Suyama Trail. If you plan to include the trail in a hike, check current trail conditions in advance.

Waterfall and Garden

Goryu Waterfall consists of five cascades plunging over a lava cliff about 100 meters wide and 12 meters high. It is designated a natural monument of Shizuoka Prefecture. Central Park was created around the waterfall as a Japanese garden. The park originated from Goryukan-Sano Hotel, which opened at this location around 1891. The poet Wakayama Bokusui and the writer Jiro Nitta visited the site; the waterfall and the Ashitaka Mountains feature as settings in their works.

Mountains, Blossoms and Hot Springs

The Ashitaka Mountains stretch across Susono, Numazu and Fuji cities, as well as Nagaizumi Town. The mountain range includes several peaks along a stretch of about 60 kilometers. Its highest peak is the 1,504-meter Echizen-dake; the range is one of Japan’s 200 famous mountains.

Umenosato is a scenic area for plum blossoms, next to the Healthy Park Susono day-use hot spring. The grounds are home to about 700 red and white plum trees and 200 cherry trees; these numbers may change over time. Healthy Park Susono is known as “Susono Bijin no Yu.” The water is rich in sodium, calcium and chloride.

Walking and Cycling Routes

For walks in Susono City, the tourism association has created the “Susono-sanpo” brochure, featuring a map of nine routes within the city. Susono City has also worked with Gotemba City and Oyama Town to develop model cycling routes and a cycling map for the region. The two guides differ in scope: the walking routes are mapped across the city, while the cycling plan covers the wider region through a joint effort.

A Historical Topic from the Wider Area

The Fukara Irrigation Canal is part of the wider regional context. Its 1,280-meter-long tunnel was excavated beneath Koziri Pass over about four years, starting in 1666. The canal was intended to carry water from Lake Ashi to the Shizuoka side. The construction period and tunnel length give the canal its own historical significance alongside the trails and landscapes that shape Susono.

Discover more destinations: Makinohara, Iwata, Fuji, Kawazu, Shizuoka, Izunokuni, Numazu, Midaka

For the overview of the wider region: Shizuoka Prefecture.