Grinpa - Fuji-area amusement park with Sylvanian Village

Grinpa (ぐりんぱ) sits in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as part of the Fuji Kyuko group and one of four facilities developed under the Fujiyama Resort on the southern foothills of Mount Fuji. The site combines outdoor athletic courses, themed family attractions and a long-running Sylvanian Village area created with Epoch.

History and origins

The site that became Grinpa grew out of a Fuji Kyuko development project that began in April 1966. Fuji Kyuko started selling plots of a villa district at the Suyama foothills; the whole development covered about 1.5 million square metres, with roughly 670,000 square metres put up for subdivision. As subdivision sales began, a comprehensive leisure land was established on that estate, and the leisure facility opened in April 1973 under the name “Nihon Land.”

In the mid-1970s the complex expanded beyond a simple park: on July 19, 1975 Nihon Land opened the Nihon Land Fuji Downhill Golf Course. The golf facility occupied about 1.05 million square metres, was described as an 18‑hole course with a yardage of 7,105 yards, and its construction cost was recorded as 800 million yen; at the time it was promoted as Japan’s first downhill golf course.

In April 1989 the facility name was changed to “Nihon Land HOW Yuenchi”. A later rebranding and renewal in 2004 converted the facility into the park now known as Grinpa.

Rebranding, the Sylvanian Village and later developments

Grinpa reopened under its current name in 2004 and added a dedicated Sylvanian Village area as part of that renewal. The Sylvanian Village opened on July 1, 2004; it was planned jointly by Epoch and Fujiyama Resort to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sylvanian Family brand. Early on the village lacked some of the shops and attractions that arrived later.

Across the next decade the Sylvanian Village and park spaces were added to and adjusted: the village’s bakery opened on July 16, 2005, and attractions such as a balloon ride and novelty bicycles were introduced then. From about 2006 the village sold an original 350‑millilitre mineral water product at its market, later offered in multi‑packs, though that specific item ceased sales in 2012. For the village’s fifth anniversary in July 2009 a new character, the Soyo‑kaze Cat girl, arrived and new rides were installed.

Operational and display changes continued through the 2010s: collaborative character events with other parks were staged in 2010 and 2011; from April 2014 the village’s “Mori no Minna no Gakkou” was closed as part of a reshuffle and the daily Sylvanian Family stage shows were suspended and later discontinued. The Sylvanian Kitchen closed on June 20, 2014 and its space was converted into a non‑Sylvanian teppanyaki restaurant in July of that year. In spring 2015 the former school space was repurposed as a Sylvanian Family 30th Anniversary exhibit; the park continued to consolidate and reconfigure small museum and workshop spaces over the following years.

In 2019 FujiYama Resort was absorbed and, from that point, the park has been operated by Pika Co., Ltd. After the closure of Kashii Kaen in December 2021, Grinpa received 31 characters from that park; from April 2022 the Sylvanian Village’s character set numbered 61.

Sylvanian Village and the mascot family

The Sylvanian Village area carries its own mascot family, the Nonohana Rabbit family, created in July 2004. The design motif for that family incorporates the silhouette of Mount Fuji into facial markings and ear patterning. The published profiles for the family members include the following details: the father is presented as a vegetable gardener (born July 30, Leo); the mother is an avid flower expert (born September 10, Virgo); the boy is curious and interested in history (born April 25, Taurus); the girl loves flowers and embroidery (born June 24, Cancer); and the baby is described as a little gourmand who enjoys the bakery and sledding (born July 24, Leo). The Nonohana Rabbit girl remains an active character in the village; the Soyo‑kaze Cat girl joined the cast in July 2009.

Sylvanian Village has hosted a variety of event formats: seasonal festivals, birthday campaigns, Halloween and Christmas programs, skateshows in winter (later suspended) and periodic character greetings that, as of the latest recorded operations, continue to appear for photo and handshake sessions.

Major attractions and themed zones

The park groups attractions for different age ranges and interests. A family‑oriented expansion called “M78 Ultraman Park” opened after the 2007 renewal; its attractions include the Ultraseven Coaster “Mach 7”, Ultraman Star Swinger, Ultraman Taro Rainbow Ship, Ultraman Train, Ultraman Grand Prix and other Ultraman‑branded family rides.

Grinpa also developed a substantial outdoor play and challenge area with multiple large aerial and ground-based athletic courses. Key installations include Picasso no Tamago (opened July 2010 and expanded in 2011; a similar unit exists at Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest), Cocodoco (a large three‑dimensional maze opened July 2013 described as one of Japan’s largest), and later large two‑track courses such as Alice‑to‑Teres (opened July 2014) and an aerial wire‑course called Wire Mountain. Some attractions have been taken out of service: the Momonga Triangle was suspended after a 2013 accident and subsequently abolished; Circus Baltan ended operation in May 2013 and was removed.

Other ride types on site include a family Ferris wheel, merry‑go‑round, themed observation cars, small touring trains, and seasonal winter facilities such as a lake ice rink and snow play fields.

Kids Fuj‑Q and indoor play

An indoor toy theme zone called Toy Factory Kids Fuj‑Q opened in July 2005 and was renewed in July 2007, at which point the M78 Ultraman Park zone was introduced. The indoor zone includes free play toy areas, branded corners (Dair/block and rail toy sections), doll play areas, Nintendo game corners, card game areas (fee applies), baby corners and a small paid massage chair area. The indoor complex has hosted character handshake sessions and scheduled meet‑and‑greet events, though some of those event formats were suspended from 2014 and remain paused as recorded.

Facilities, payment and connectivity

Retail and food venues are concentrated around the Sylvanian Village market area and the central family areas. The park’s forest market sells Sylvanian Village original goods and run‑of‑park souvenirs, and at different times has housed a reduced museum space, workshop classes and a photo studio (the photo studio has been closed since September 2013). The Forest Bakery opened in 2005 to supply themed baked goods; other dining options have been changed and reconfigured over time.

A limited acceptance of credit cards was reintroduced in spring 2015 after a temporary suspension in 2014; however, the park does not support broad contactless e‑money or transit‑IC payment systems for general use. A free Wi‑Fi spot was installed for the market area in 2014 but equipment relocations mean Wi‑Fi is currently available inside the Wild Grill Hungry restaurant with its SSID and password displayed within the venue. Mobile reception is generally obtainable across the park’s flat areas, but some indoor spaces and peripheral areas have reception dead zones; certain mobile broadband services (for example UQ WiMax) may not be available in parts of the site.

Parking is provided for private cars, motorcycles and buses; the park is accessed by the South Fuji Evergreen Line toll road. Separate arrangements exist to link the park with regional public transport.

Access and buses

Grinpa is linked to the JR network by seasonal direct buses and year‑round services from nearby stations. The stations used for direct services are listed in park materials as JR Gotemba Station, JR Mishima Station and JR Fuji Station. From JR Gotemba Station a direct bus to Grinpa runs year‑round on weekdays and on weekends and holidays (services do not run on the park’s closed days). Direct services from JR Mishima Station operate on a seasonal timetable and are generally about two round trips per day; direct services from JR Fuji Station run on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and specified dates with about one round trip on those days. Round‑trip bus tickets combined with a Grinpa one‑day admission ticket are sold at the Fuji Kyuko bus counters at those three stations as the “Grinpa Route Bus Set Ticket” when buses are operating. The direct buses accept cash and transportation IC cards for fares. The park and Fuji Kyuko Bus also operate seasonal direct buses that connect Grinpa with parts of Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo on limited schedules.

FAQ

Where is Grinpa located?

Grinpa is in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, operated as part of the Fuji Kyuko group and one of four Fujiyama Resort facilities.

When did the Sylvanian Village open?

Sylvanian Village opened on July 1, 2004, planned jointly by Epoch and Fujiyama Resort for the Sylvanian Family's 20th anniversary.

Who operates Grinpa now?

From 2019 the park's operation passed to Pika Co., Ltd. after FujiYama Resort was absorbed.

Which stations offer direct buses to Grinpa?

Direct buses run from JR Gotemba Station year‑round, from JR Mishima Station on seasonal schedules (roughly two round trips), and from JR Fuji Station on weekends, holidays and specified dates (about one round trip on those days).