Fujiyama Tower promises a viewing like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.
No trip to Japan is complete without seeing Mt Fuji at least once, and soon you’ll be able to see it from a brand new angle, thanks to a thrilling new setup at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Home to a number of thrill rides, Fuji-Q Highland is most famous for its giant Fujiyama roller coaster, which stands at 79 metres (259 feet) in height, and this is where the new viewing deck will be installed.
▼ Once the tallest roller coaster in the world when the park opened in 1968, Fujiyama is now the eighth highest in the world.
Image: Wikipedia/ Geomr~commonswiki
Those who ride the rollercoaster get to enjoy jaw-dropping views of Japan’s tallest mountain as they whizz by the circular section in the middle. A view this good is a shame to waste on a ride-by that takes a few seconds, though, so Fuji-Q have now come up with a brilliant new way for non-riders to enjoy it too.
Called Fujiyama Tower, the new viewing area comprises several different experiences for visitors to try, depending on their daredevil levels. First up, there’s the Fujiyama Sky Deck Observatory, where people can enjoy sweeping views of Mt. Fuji and its surrounding areas from a height of about 55 metres (180 feet).
▼ Photos from here, where you can see a full vista of Mt Fuji rising up from the earth, promise to be spectacular.
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The next activity, called Fujiyama Walk, is not for the faint of heart. Previously reserved for staff, who got to enjoy this unique view of Mt Fuji while performing daily inspections of the rollercoaster tracks above, this windswept passage without handrails can now be enjoyed by visitors attached to a harness.
The third new activity on offer is a tube-type slider called Fujiyama Slider, which is said to transport visitors from the deck to the ground level in moments.
▼ The slider wraps around the elevator shaft at the centre of the tower.
The Fujiyama Tower is being built at a cost of 1.07 billion yen (US$10.35 million), and is scheduled to open to the public in the summer of 2021. Interestingly, Fuji-Q Highland says visitors to the Fujiyama Tower will be able to enjoy the “screaming entertainment” that is typical of the park, which contradicts the “scream in your heart” request they put out as a coronavirus countermeasure for riders earlier this year.
Source, images: PR Times (unless otherwise stated)
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