Location Is Everything 

So we’ve talked about the rides, but what else? Again, this park is located near the base of an active volcano. Mount Fuji can be seen on the skyline of this park and makes for a beautiful photo op no matter what area of the park you may find yourself in.

With that said, it does take some planes, trains, and automobiles to make it out to Fuji-Q. Luckily, a train runs quite consistently from the hub of Tokyo all the way out to Yamanashi—and more than that, there's a stop right at the park. This trip will take you about two hours, granted you get yourself out to Japan. Still, to be able to say you rode the world’s fastest accelerating coaster while staring down an active volcano is one massive feather in the cap of any thrill-seeker or adrenaline junkie, and is absolutely worth the effort.

For Fans of Halloween Horror Nights: 

While on the topic of adrenaline junkies, the park has not one, but two scare-themed attractions, one of which the Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear, a walk-through haunted house themed to an abandoned hospital. Burrowed in a more secluded and—well—creepy section of the park, this attraction is staffed with scare actors year-round to itch the scratch of Halloween Horror Nights enthusiasts (see: me), especially after Universal’s unfortunate (yet very understandable) cancellation of the event this year. In addition to this attraction, there’s the Endless Haunted Mine. This attraction more closely resembles a ride, strapping you into a vehicle and putting headphones over your ears to physically trap you in the experience. These year-round spooky attractions catch the envy of those who wish that Halloween spirit lingered throughout the year. This is the quirkiness of Fuji-Q that’s irreplaceable and irresistible. 

The atmosphere of Fuji-Q looks to be similar to an old-fashioned midway, brightly-colored and lively. Though the park is on the smaller side, it twists and weaves in and out of itself like a never-ending game of Snake. The skyline of this park, with its brilliant attractions and classic theming and picturesque location, is precisely what I think of when I think about a theme park: the thrills, the nostalgia, the wonder. It’s a place I’ve visited a thousand times in my mind, but not once in reality.

It's so unique, so itself, and so iconic...that it's hard to put into words exactly why this park is one that tugs on me. It’s a Bucket List Park, and that’s about the best way to put it.