Shigeru Horiuchi, Mayor of Fujiyoshida City　

A challenge to transform setbacks into strength while protecting tourism and livelihoods.

Shigeru Horiuchi, Mayor of Fujiyoshida City

■ Profile
The mayor is serving his fifth term, the longest tenure in the city's history. He leads Fujiyoshida City, a city that has developed as a center of Mount Fuji worship and as a textile production area using the spring water of Mount Fuji to weave high-quality fabrics, with passionate leadership. Currently, he is working under the promise of making Fujiyoshida City the world's proudest city, and is implementing city administration measures such as industrial promotion, development of tourism infrastructure, disaster prevention measures, and improvement of the educational environment. Furthermore, he is working to pass on the rich nature, history, and culture of Mount Fuji to future generations and to realize a "bright future" in which every citizen can take pride in their hometown.

Fujiyoshida City in Yamanashi Prefecture is known for its spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. In addition to Arakurayama Sengen Park, a popular spot for overseas visitors as a "quintessentially Japanese landscape," the city also boasts Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, Kaneyama Falls, and its local specialty, Yoshida udon noodles. A new building for the Fujiyoshida Roadside Station is scheduled to be completed this autumn. In Fujiyoshida City, which is popular with tourists from both Japan and abroad, we spoke with Mayor Horiuchi about the city's journey to becoming what it is today, and how he has overcome numerous setbacks together with the citizens to promote tourism and enrich the lives of its residents, to learn about the city's appeal.

Influenced by my father, I enrolled in Nihon University. At the time, the university was often closed due to student protests, so my student life wasn't what I had envisioned. However, I didn't want to waste that time, so I started working part-time at Hotel Okura. I had always had a strong admiration for the hotel industry. Hotels are places that offer a dreamlike experience to people who work hard every day, freeing them from their daily routines. There are stages to becoming a front desk staff member or waiter, requiring rigorous training and the acquisition of proper etiquette. Even so, every time I saw customers leave with smiles on their faces, I felt proud of this job. Through training at hotels both domestically and internationally, I learned about differences in culture and lifestyle, and I feel that I have personally mastered the essence of hospitality.

■The power of nature and connection I learned through moving to Fujiyoshida City

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work overseas, but due to family circumstances, I resigned and moved to Fujiyoshida City, my wife's hometown. Having grown up in Tokyo until I became a working adult, I was initially bewildered, but as I experienced the ever-changing scenery of Mount Fuji throughout the seasons, the clean air and water, and the spirit of mutual support in the community, I gradually grew to love this region.
Certainly, Fujiyoshida City is often different from the conveniences of a big city. However, people live close to one another, and mutual support and assistance are naturally ingrained. I feel like I've learned what it truly means for people to live fulfilling lives in this region.

■ A challenge to politics and a commitment to clean municipal administration

I never originally intended to become a politician. However, at the urging of my family and those around me, I ran for prefectural assembly. At that time, elections were heavily influenced by factions and funding, and I myself experienced internal conflict. For my second term, I campaigned on a clean platform but was unsuccessful. After that, I stayed away from the world of politics for eighteen years.
During that time, Fujiyoshida City saw a change of mayor every term, resulting in a loss of policy continuity. Responding to calls from the citizens for change, I decided to take on the challenge again. I pledged to conduct fair and impartial city administration, free from vested interests, and assumed the position of mayor.

■Growth as a tourist city and measures against overtourism

With Mount Fuji's designation as a World Cultural Heritage site, Fujiyoshida City has thankfully gained attention both domestically and internationally. The Chureito Pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park and the scenery visible from Honmachi Street are shared around the world, attracting over 1.5 million tourists annually.
On the other hand, issues such as traffic congestion and poor manners have become apparent, impacting the living environment. Therefore, we are working to create an environment where both residents and tourists can feel safe, by improving parking facilities, enhancing public restrooms, and deploying traffic controllers. Rather than pursuing the quantity of tourism, we want to pursue policies that prioritize sustainability.

■ Creating profitable cities and investing in the future

Securing financial resources is essential to improving public services. I campaigned on the promise of "creating a city that can generate income," and have focused on strengthening the hometown tax donation system. Instead of relying on local specialties, we have built trust by offering everyday items such as water from Mount Fuji and textile products as return gifts, achieving one of the top results in the country.
Using these funds, we have expanded support for families raising children, including making school lunches free, providing support for infertility treatment, improving childcare support centers, and promoting ICT education. We believe that investing in the children who will shape the future is essential for creating a sustainable community.

■ Promoting DX and supporting the transformation of local companies

I believe the role of government is not simply to operate systems, but to increase the productivity of the entire region. Therefore, I am focusing on improving the efficiency of operations within the city hall. By introducing information sharing tools and cloud services, we are aiming to expedite decision-making. In a society with a declining population, labor shortages are unavoidable. That's why it's essential to utilize technology and create a system that achieves maximum results with limited resources.
We are also making progress in utilizing data in the tourism sector. By analyzing visitor trends and optimizing routes to distribute congestion, we believe we can curb overtourism. It is important not just to increase the number of tourists, but to create a system where benefits circulate within the region. Moving forward, we want to build a sustainable Fujiyoshida City while preserving tradition and not being afraid of change.

■A future shared with Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji brings great blessings, but it also carries the risk of volcanic eruptions. I consider disaster prevention measures to be of paramount importance, and I am working with the national and prefectural governments to strengthen our preparedness. In addition, we are conducting practical training with citizen participation in disaster prevention drills to visualize initial response procedures in the event of a disaster and to enhance the crisis response capabilities of the entire community.
Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our disaster prevention measures, and we hope that all visitors will be able to experience the history and culture of Mount Fuji. Furthermore, Fujiyoshida City is focusing its efforts on the restoration of the Yoshida Trail, the only climbing route that can be accessed from the foot of the mountain. We will continue to promote the appeal of climbing Mount Fuji on foot from the base and aim to become a high-quality tourist destination.

■Message to university students

My life has never been smooth sailing. Everyone experiences setbacks, and I myself have had my dreams dashed at times. However, each time, I've sought a new path and motivated myself. Humans have the ability to adapt to their environment. Setbacks are not the end, but rather the gateway to new possibilities. I hope that university students will believe in their own potential and continue to challenge themselves without fear.

Student Newspaper Online, May 2, 2026, Interview by Reina Inomoto, 1st year student at Kyoto University of the Arts

Chiharu Yamada, 2nd year student at the University of Information Management and Innovation / Yurie Watanabe, 2nd year student at Josai International University / Reina Inomoto, 1st year student at Kyoto University of the Arts