Greg S
Google
If you want to ascend Mt Fuji virtually without getting out of breath, this is the way to do it! Inside is a spiral ramp with curved screens that show the views and terrain from the mountain at different elevations from sea level to top. There are also interactive displays on several floors on the way up if you need a rest while climbing. Their website acutally has great photos of what you can expect to see inside.
There may be an optional special exhibit (not to be confused with the included cinema room on the same floor). You pay for a ticket at the time of admission and it actually cost more than the base admission charge, so you have to decide if it's worth it depending on what's exhibited. With the favorable exchange rate, admission for both was still only about $6.50 (700yen included general admission and the exhibit).
What's also great about Fujinomiya: after you visit the center, If you wander along the river path towards the mountain for two blocks and hang a left, you'll find a small food court on your left, the highlight of which is a water fountain that allows you to drink spring water from Mt Fuji! After you enjoy a meal, Shiraito falls is only a 30 minute bus ride away. Take a left and continue along the same street for about 25m to the bus stop on the same side of the street (the bus will be heading to your left. It's a lot of lefts, haha).
We used Shizuoka as our base to get to Fujinomiya for its proximity to both the Shinkansen and Tokaido/Minobu lines. Although the Shin-Fuji Shinkansen station is closer to Fujinomiya, it's about a 1.5km walk to the Minobu line station to catch the train; if you stay near the Shizuoka station (Hotel Associa Shizuoka is great and super-close to the station), both train lines are right there in the same station.