A Winter Day at Fuji-Q Highland

Roller coasters against a snow-capped Mount Fuji, an outdoor ice rink, a fire pit for warming hands between rides, and a winter illumination show after dark.

January 30, 2011Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, JapanNikon D90 · 18–105mm zoom · f/3.5–11, ISO 200–800

Fuji-Q Highland’s whole pitch is right there in the name — a full amusement park with some of Japan’s tallest, fastest coasters, built close enough to Mount Fuji that it’s in the background of half the photos whether you plan it or not. We went at the end of January, cold enough that the outdoor ice rink actually stayed ice all day.

A large wooden torii-style entrance arch at Fuji-Q Highland with Mount Fuji visible in the background and a school group walking through — The entrance arch, a school trip filing through ahead of us, Fuji already visible past the rides.

Wide view of Fuji-Q Highland amusement park with multiple roller coasters and a ferris wheel under a clear blue sky — The park on arrival — Eejanaika's red track on the right, Fuji dead center behind the tree line.

Steel Against Sky

Most of what I shot here is just structure — track and scaffolding against a sky too clean to waste. The park’s two signature coasters, Fujiyama and Eejanaika, dominate the skyline from almost anywhere on the grounds.

The steel structure of the Fujiyama roller coaster towering over trees and vending machines — Fujiyama's lift hill, vending machines doing brisk business at the bottom.

Eejanaika roller coaster with rotating yellow seats cresting a red steel track — Eejanaika — the seats rotate independently of the track, which is as disorienting as it looks.

A pendulum amusement ride swinging riders upside down against a blue sky — A pizza-branded pendulum ride, mid-swing.

Fujiyama roller coaster's arched track and Dodonpa's yellow launch tower against a blue sky — Fujiyama and Dodonpa's launch tower together — shot on a compact camera someone else in the group was carrying.

The park has no shortage of ways to be flung around at altitude — a swing ride, a star flyer, and a clock-themed spinner that outdoes both for sheer nonsense.

A swing carousel ride called Typhoon with riders swinging out against a blue sky, a ferris wheel behind it — The Typhoon swing ride, riders a blur against the ferris wheel.

A star flyer swing tower ride with riders suspended at various heights against a blue sky — Star Flyer, riders scattered at every height on the way up.

A clock-themed pendulum ride called PaniClock with riders suspended from clock hands against a blue sky — PaniClock — a clock face that flings its riders around the gears instead of telling time.

A pink polka-dot roller coaster train climbing a vertical launch tower against a blue sky — Dodonpa's launch tower, catching a train at the top of its climb.

Close-up of children riding a swing carousel, mid-swing against a blue sky — Close up on the Typhoon, mid-swing — one mask, several very committed grins.

Ice and Fire

The park runs an outdoor rink through the winter, with Fuji visible over the rental hut if the day’s clear enough — which this one was.

Wide view of an outdoor ice rink with cartoon murals on a nearby building and a ferris wheel in the background — The rink from above, cartoon murals on the wall behind it and the ferris wheel turning past.

People ice skating on an outdoor rink with Mount Fuji and park buildings visible behind them — Skaters on the rink, Food Stadium and Mount Fuji behind them.

People warming their hands at a brick fire pit at an amusement park — A brick fire pit nearby, for the obvious reason. 1/60s, hands mostly still.

After Dark

By late afternoon the light had gone from flat to gold to gone, and the park switched over to its winter illumination display — lights strung across a hillside, Fuji traced out in blue neon, the rink relit in a completely different mood than it had in daylight.

Silhouette of a roller coaster against a sunset sky with lens flare — Fujiyama in silhouette at sunset, lens flare and all.

An illuminated outline of Mount Fuji and snowflakes on the side of a building at night, part of a winter illumination display — An illuminated Mount Fuji traced in light on the side of a building, part of the park's winter light show.

A hillside covered in warm string lights at night, with an illuminated Mount Fuji mural on a building in the background — A whole hillside strung with warm light, the same Fuji mural glowing on the building above it.

The outdoor ice rink at Fuji-Q Highland illuminated in blue light at night, with a lit tree in the center and a roller coaster silhouette behind it — The same ice rink, hours later, relit in blue for the evening show.

Ten hours between the first frame and the last, and I don’t think I stopped being cold for any of them — worth it for the rink shot alone, Fuji lining up exactly where I’d hoped it would.