Livability Report
FujiLivability Score
Shizuoka·Pop. 237,650
Fuji lies in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, with Mount Fuji to the north and Suruga Bay to the south beyond Tagonoura Port. To the east it borders Numazu across the Ukishima marsh, and to the west Shizuoka City across the Fuji River. The 2025 Census population is 237,650. Drawing on abundant groundwater and forests at the foot of Mount Fuji, papermaking has clustered here since the Meiji era, and the city is known as a paper town. In the Edo period the Tokaido post town of Yoshiwara stood here, welcoming pilgrims bound for Mount Fuji. The cities of Yoshiwara and Fuji merged with Takaoka town in 1966, and Fujikawa town joined in 2008 to form today's city.
Published 2026-10-30 · Data updated 2026-10-30
Where in Japan
Overall Score
47.1
50.8
48.4
48.9
48.2* These scores are based on statistical analysis of public data and do not represent a definitive assessment of any area. Actual livability varies depending on individual values and lifestyle.
5-axis scores
Safety47.1Cost50.8Convenience48.4Welfare48.9Economy48.2Basic Information
Population
237,650
Prefecture
Shizuoka
Q&A with Kai
Alex, Yuki, and Kai discuss what it's really like to live here.
How the paper town came to be
Yuki
What first made Fuji known for papermaking?
Alex
Which part of the city did the mills gather in?
Yuki
Is Fuji today only a paper town?
Kai
City records say Suruga hanshi paper reached Edo widely in the mid-Edo period, yet it never became the main industry here. The turning point was Meiji. When the post-station system was abolished, mass unemployment among packhorse drivers was feared, and Uchida Heishiro from Yoshiwara cleared the Uchiyama area in 1869 to grow mitsumata. Paper became the safety net.
How to read the offence figures
Alex
Where can I check the safety figures?
Yuki
Is there anything to keep in mind when reading that number?
Kai
Shizuoka Prefectural Police publish recorded Penal Code offences by municipality, and Fuji is listed. In 2025 Fuji recorded 1,419 offences, or 5.97 per 1,000 residents. That crime figure is an average level among Japan's major municipalities. Since a lower rate is better for daily life, average here means neither notably high nor notably low.
What land and rent cost
Alex
If I bought a house, what would land cost?
Alex
And if I rent, what do rents look like?
Yuki
Is there a contact point for people moving in?
Kai
A simple average of residential points in the 2026 official land price survey puts land in Fuji at 60,008 yen per square metre. That land price is an average level among Japan's major municipalities. The points cover only part of the city, and values differ a lot between areas near the stations and hillside districts. Check prices site by site.
Rail and buses in a car-based town
Alex
Can I commute without a car?
Yuki
Are the railway stations connected to each other?
Alex
Are there enough shops and places to eat?
Kai
In the 2020 Census, 5.12% of people commuted by rail or bus. That public transport share is an average level among Japan's major municipalities, but at the lower end of that range, so daily life revolves around the car. The city lists buses, demand taxis, the Gakunan Railway, taxis and JR. Shin-Fuji Shinkansen station opened in 1988.
Density of medical care and schools
Alex
Will I find hospitals and clinics nearby?
Alex
What do I do if my child runs a fever at night?
Yuki
How are the schools laid out?
Kai
The 2023 Survey of Medical Institutions counts 12 hospitals and 182 general clinics in Fuji, or 8.16 facilities per 10,000 residents. That medical facility count is an average level among Japan's major municipalities. It divides facilities by population and says nothing about departments or access. Fuji City General Hospital, the core hospital, states a policy of cooperating with local clinics.
Income and population flows built on the port and factories
Yuki
What kind of town is it as a place to work?
Alex
Is the population growing or shrinking?
Yuki
Is paper still the face of the town?
Kai
Industrial recruitment following the opening of Tagonoura Port made Fuji the hub of the East Suruga Bay industrial development zone, and the city publishes the port's history and promotion vision. In 2025 taxable income per taxpayer was 3,466,631 yen, an income level that is an average level among Japan's major municipalities. Paper plus chemicals and transport equipment underpin that income.
Registered population versus people actually living here
Yuki
Is the registered population the same as the number of people actually living here?
Alex
Does this number affect the score?
Kai
No. The 2025 Census population is 237,650, while the Basic Resident Register population on 1 January 2026 is 244,718. Dividing the former by the latter gives a residency rate of 97.11%. That residency rate is lower than the median of Japan's major municipalities, meaning some people keep their registration here while living elsewhere, as with students and job postings.
Who this city suits
Families with children
For families, the materials are the children's medical expense subsidy and special childbirth gift, the holiday and night-time emergency medical centre and the children's emergency phone line, and a school density of 0.39 per square kilometre of habitable land. Points to watch: daily travel will centre on the car, and in coastal areas checking the tsunami disaster warning zone is essential.
Young singles
For single young workers, the materials are average rent of 49,049 yen a month, Shinkansen access from Shin-Fuji Station, and the Yoshiwara shopping street between Yoshiwara Chuo and Yoshiwara-Honcho stations. Points to watch: only 5.12% commute by rail or bus, so the town assumes a car, and Shin-Fuji and Fuji stations are not directly connected.
Seniors
For seniors, the materials are 8.16 hospitals and clinics per 10,000 residents, Fuji City General Hospital with its stated role as the area's core hospital, and demand taxis serving outlying districts. Points to watch: facility counts do not show ease of access, and hillside districts have designated zones for landslides and debris flows.
Remote workers
For remote workers, the materials are an average residential land price of 60,008 yen per square metre, the Shin-Fuji Shinkansen station opened in 1988, and Gakunan Railway scenery with Mount Fuji visible from every station. Points to watch: out-migration exceeds in-migration by 414 people, so you will need to build connections yourself, and check the flood and inland-water zones before choosing a home.
Disaster risk and hazard maps
Fuji publishes the Fuji City Disaster Prevention Map, updated to its 5th edition in March 2024. The same page links to the river division's flood and inland-water hazard maps and to the Fuji Town Map. Under the national damage estimate for a Nankai Trough megaquake, tsunami reaching the Fuji coast are estimated at up to 6 metres, and a seawall 17 metres above sea level was built along the shore after past storm-surge damage. Even so, the scenario has tsunami entering through Tagonoura Port and overflowing around the port and the Numa River, and a tsunami disaster warning zone was designated on 7 March 2023. Tsunami evacuation maps based on the maximum-class earthquake tsunami are prepared for 3 areas. Mount Fuji is an active volcano that has stayed quiet since its eruption about 300 years ago, and the city issues a volcanic hazard map. Sediment disasters are classed as cliff collapse, debris flow and landslide, and debris-flow danger zones exist within the city. For Fuji River floods the city explains the stage at which everyone in the inundation zone is told to evacuate, and for the Akabuchi River Shizuoka Prefecture has designated an inundation zone based on the maximum conceivable rainfall. The map legend includes a building-collapse danger zone and an inland-water hazard map, and a reservoir hazard map is also listed. Check down to your exact street address with the city's official maps and the Geospatial Information Authority's overlay hazard map.
- Fuji City Disaster Prevention Map
- Fuji City Disaster Prevention Map, citywide edition (PDF)
- Fuji City: Earthquake tsunami
- Fuji City: Tsunami disaster warning zone
- Fuji City: Sediment disasters
- Fuji City: Evacuating from Fuji River floods
- Shizuoka Prefecture: Akabuchi River inundation zone map (largest scale)
- GSI overlay hazard map
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Detailed Data
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | 5.97 | 2025 |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | 60,008 | 2026 |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 49,049 | 2023 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 5.1 | 2020 |
| Retail Establishments | 1,837 | 2021 |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 7.73 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments | 1,094 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 4.60 | 2021 |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | 97.1 | 2025 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | 8.16 | 2023 |
| Hospitals | 12 | 2023 |
| Hospitals (per 10,000) | 0.51 | 2023 |
| Clinics | 182 | 2023 |
| Clinics (per 10,000) | 7.66 | 2023 |
| Schools (elementary + junior high + high) | 48 | 2024 |
| Schools (per 1,000) | 0.202 | 2024 |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | 0.388 | 2024 |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | 3,466,631 | 2025 |
| Net Migration | -414 | 2025 |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | -0.17 | 2025 |
| Total Population | 237,650 | 2025 |
| crime_count | 1,419 | 2025 |
| crime_count_pref | 17,856 | 2025 |
| crime_rate_pref_per_1000 | 5 | 2025 |
| habitable_area_km2 | 124 | 2024 |
| resident_registry_population | 244,718 | 2026 |
Data sources
| Indicator | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2025 Population CensusStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | Reported penal code offenses by municipalityShizuoka Prefectural Police | 2025 | Counted where offenses occur; per 1,000 uses the 2025 census population |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | 2026 | Residential sites only; simple average of sites |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 2023 Housing and Land SurveyStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2023 | Monthly rent of rented housing; next survey in 2028 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2020 Population Census (means of commuting)Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2020 | To be updated when the 2025 census commuting tables are published |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | 2023 | Hospitals and clinics combined |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)MEXT and Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2024 | Elementary, junior high and high schools per habitable km² |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | Survey on municipal tax assessmentMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Taxable income per taxpayer |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | Report on Internal MigrationStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | Census population ÷ resident register populationMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Resident register population as of January 1, 2026 |
Sources (36)
- Fuji City: City overview (PDF)
- Fuji City: Overview of the local pulp and paper industry (PDF)
- Fuji City: Fuji, the paper town
- Fuji City: Regional brand Fuji no Kami
- Fuji City: Paper mills open to factory tours
- Fuji City: Tagonoura Port
- Fuji City: About the Disaster Prevention Map
- Fuji City Disaster Prevention Map, citywide edition
- Fuji City: Earthquake tsunami
- Fuji City: Tsunami disaster warning zone
- Fuji City: Sediment disasters
- Fuji City: Evacuating from Fuji River floods
- Shizuoka Prefecture: Akabuchi River inundation zone map (largest scale)
- Shizuoka Prefectural Police: Recorded Penal Code offences by municipality, 2025
- Fuji City: Public transport
- Fuji City: Buses
- Fuji City: Demand taxis
- Fuji City: Review of public support for the Gakunan Railway (PDF)
- Fuji City: Regional Public Transport Plan
- Fuji City: Benefits and subsidies
- Fuji City: When your child is ill
- Fuji City General Hospital
- Fuji City: Living and procedures
- Fuji City: Agriculture, livestock and fisheries
- Fuji City: Tourism, culture and sports
- Wikipedia (Japanese): Fuji, Shizuoka
- e-Stat: 2025 Population Census, basic tabulation
- e-Stat: 2020 Population Census, means of transport to work or school
- e-Stat: 2023 Housing and Land Survey, monthly rent of rented housing
- e-Stat: 2021 Economic Census for Business Activity, establishments by industry
- e-Stat: System of Social and Demographic Statistics, education (schools, 2024)
- e-Stat: System of Social and Demographic Statistics, health and medical care (hospitals and clinics, 2023)
- e-Stat: Basic Resident Register migration report, net migration (2025)
- National Land Numerical Information: Official land price data L01 (MLIT, 2026)
- MIC: Municipal tax assessment survey (taxable income, 2025)
- MIC: Population, demographics and households based on the Basic Resident Register (1 January 2026)
Data years: mainly 2025 (2020–2026 by indicator)
Published 2026-10-30 · Data updated 2026-10-30