Gotemba, Commercial city at Mount Fuji foothills, Japan
Gotemba is a commercial town in Shizuoka Prefecture that stretches between Mount Fuji and Mount Hakone, shaped mainly by retail and leisure facilities. The town combines flat ground in the lower areas with gentle hills rising toward both mountains, offering wide views across the surrounding valleys.
Settlement traces here reach back about 2000 years, when people began living permanently in the area along travel routes. During the Edo period, the region belonged to Odawara Domain before being officially declared a town in 1955.
The name derives from its proximity to historic travel routes where travelers paused for rest. Today, many visitors use the town as a starting point for hiking or to shop in the numerous stores offering local specialties.
The town sits on the Gotemba Line, offering regular train connections in several directions and good access to hiking trails and excursion sites in the area. Most shops and services are located near the main roads extending from the station.
A park on the edge of town was established in 1723 as a summer residence for the Imperial family and still contains old cherry trees that bloom in spring. In another part of town stands a peace pagoda from 1964, visible from far away in clear weather.
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