Nishikatsura Town Guide:

In Nishikatsura, the main attraction is Mt. Mitsutouge (literally "Three Peaks").  There is a hiking trail to the top, which is popular from May to October.  It's a 4.5km climb, and usually takes 2-3 hours at a fairly easy pace, but it's also quite steep.  From the top, there is an unbeatable view of Mt. Fuji, although the famous mountain can be seen from anywhere in town.

"The kokudo" as Nishikatsurans call Road 139, is the only major road in town, linking Nishikatsura with Fujiyoshida to the Southwest, and Tsuru to the Northeast.  Directions are given in relation to the kokudo.  

There are several run-of-the-mill izakayas in town; none of which are worth going out of your way.  Shuu is purportedly the best of the bunch, and is often busy.  It's on the right side of the kokudo as you head southwest towards Fujiyoshida, just before crossing into Fujiyoshida. 

The major businesses in Nishikatsura are textile plants (which look like Japanese houses, but if you put your ear to the wall, you can hear the textile mills whirring inside), and Mt. Fuji Water, which bottles water to be sold across Japan.  

There is a train station in town, Mitsutouge Station.  It is on the Fujikyu line which connects Fujiyoshida to the junction at Otsuki.  From the Otsuki Junction, one can transfer to the Chuo Line, which is one of the main train lines in Eastern Japan, connecting Tokyo and Nagoya, via Kofu.  

There is also a Keio Highway Bus stop in town, on the Chuo Expressway.  The bus stop is inconvenient, with no parking, but can be an easy and cheap way to get to Shinjuku.  It is both cheaper and faster than the trains, and comes about every 30 minutes to 1 hour during daylight hours.  Information in Japanese can be found at https://www.highwaybus.com .

Also, the Chuo Expressway passes through town.  The nearest on- and off-ramps are in Tsuru, about 15 minutes away.  But, from the entrance to the Expressway, Hachioji, a major station on the outskirts of Tokyo, is only 30 minutes away, and Kofu is only 40.  

There are numerous corner stores and little food markets in town, so with a little effort one can do all of one's shopping within the town limits.  There is one nice second-hand store (rare for Yamanashi) which mostly sells used clothes.  However, for laundry facilities, video rentals, electronics, books, or major groceries, one will have to go to Tsuru or Fujiyoshida.  Without a car, the easiest way to do major shopping is to take the train to Fujiyoshida station, where there is a 100-yen store, a grocery store, a department store, and restaurants nearby.  

There are few entertainment options in Nishikatsura, unless you count the large pachinko parlors on either end of town.  There are no workout gyms, movie theaters, video stores, book stores, coffee shops, libraries, or shopping areas.  There are a couple of pretty parks in town, and as previously mentioned, Mt. Mitsutouge provides some nice hikes.  There is also a "sports ground" on the outskirts of town, which has softball and soccer fields.  Also, Mitsutouge Green Center, at the base of Mt. Mitsutouge, has tennis courts, an artificial onsen, and often serves as an activity center.

The town's home page is at:  http://www.town.nishikatsura.yamanashi.jp/navi/default.htm, and the Middle School's home page is at:  http://junior.town.nishikatsura.yamanashi.jp/index.html .  Also, I have a Nishikatsura page on my website, which includes pictures of the town.  It's at http://www.microchipbrain.com/microchipbrain/peter .


Peter Martin
June, 2004