Fujisawa City is located in the southeastern part of Kanagawa Prefecture, at the easternmost end of the Shonan region, adjacent to the Yokohama and Yokosuka-Miura areas. It was officially established as a city on October 1, 1940 (Showa 15), and was designated as a government ordinance city with a public health center. Fujisawa is a city that integrates residential living, tourism, industry, and education, and is also a scenic administrative entity. It features nationally famous sites such as Enoshima, Katase, Kugenuma, and Tsujido beaches, giving it the characteristics of a tourist city. Due to its mild and pleasant climate, it has long attracted people seeking a good natural environment, livable conditions, and educational resources, as well as enthusiasts of marine sports such as surfing. Its population has been growing steadily even before World War II.
Administratively, Fujisawa belongs to the Shonan region of Kanagawa Prefecture, but it is also a commuter city for Tokyo and Yokohama. The city has convenient transportation, with multiple railway lines including JR, Odakyu, Sotetsu, Enoden, Yokohama Municipal Subway, and the Shonan Monorail. Thanks to its developed transportation network, it has a relatively high inland population compared to other Shonan areas, with a total population of about 440,000.
During the Edo period, Fujisawa was a temple town of Shojokoji (Yugyo-ji), the head temple of the Ji sect, and served as the sixth post town, "Fujisawa-juku," on the Tokaido Road. It was also a key point for visiting Enoshima Shrine. The area was famously depicted in Hiroshige Utagawa’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido.
From the Meiji era through World War II, the city's mild climate attracted development in the southern areas of Kugenuma and Katase as Japan’s earliest planned villa districts starting in the mid-Meiji period. From the Taisho period, it became home to members of the imperial family, politicians, many scholars, and cultural figures, turning into a destination for villas, health retreats, and summer getaways. Famous literary figures such as Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Saneatsu Mushanokoji, and Ryusei Kishida created works here. During the war, the city hosted the Naval Radio School, which trained radar technicians for ships and land bases, and the Fujisawa Naval Air Corps, which handled maintenance training for airborne radio and optical weapons in collaboration with the radio school.
After the war, Fujisawa rapidly developed as a commuter city for Tokyo, with a significant population increase. Centered around Fujisawa Station, where JR (Tokaido Line, including the Shonan-Shinjuku and Ueno-Tokyo lines), Odakyu (Enoshima Line), and Enoden intersect, the area has developed many commercial facilities. Several university campuses are located in the city, including Keio University (Shonan Fujisawa Campus, SFC), Shonan Institute of Technology (Shonan Campus), Tama University (Shonan Campus), and Nihon University (Shonan Campus), making it a hub for education and culture. Cultural activities among residents are also vibrant: the "Fujisawa City Exhibition" was established in 1951, and in 1973, Japan’s first citizen opera “Fujisawa Citizen Opera” was performed, which continues to this day. Since 1992, the Fujisawa Opera Competition has been held annually, serving as a gateway for young opera singers. Although the city lacks facilities officially named museums or art galleries, it houses several cultural venues such as the Fujisawa City Archives (opened in 1974, Japan's first municipal-level archive), the Shonandai Cultural Center Children's Hall, and the Fujisawa Ukiyo-e Museum (opened in 2016). Additionally, the city features museum-like facilities including the Prefectural Transportation Exhibition Hall (in Tsujido Seaside Park) and the private Isuzu Plaza.
Kugenuma Beach in the city’s south has long been a swimming beach and, together with Katase Nishihama, is collectively known as the "Katase Nishihama・Kugenuma Swimming Beach," attracting over 3 million visitors annually—making it Japan’s most visited beach. It is also said to be one of the birthplaces of surfing and beach volleyball in Japan (though sources vary). Katase Higashihama has a long tradition of foreign visitors swimming there since the early Meiji era. Enoshima, known for the Enoshima Benzaiten shrine worshipped since Minamoto no Yoritomo, is always bustling. It was the venue for sailing events during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (Shonan Port) and again for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Even outside the summer or New Year season, Enoshima attracts around 12 million tourists annually, making it the most iconic tourist destination in the Shonan area. The coastal areas of Katase, Kugenuma, Tsujido, and Enoshima serve as a comprehensive seaside resort with activities including sailing, surfing, windsurfing, beach volleyball, swimming, fishing, shell collecting, and the Enoshima Aquarium. As a sister city of Miami Beach, Florida, USA, Fujisawa is often referred to as the “Miami of the East.”
The northern part of the city, centered around the Shonandai area, is home to Shonandai Station, a transportation hub where the Odakyu Enoshima Line, Sotetsu Izumino Line, and Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line converge. It also serves as the main gateway to Keio University’s Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC). In addition, major manufacturing plants and related industries—including the main factory of Isuzu Motors—are concentrated in this area. In terms of shipment value of manufactured goods and other industrial indicators, Fujisawa ranks third in Kanagawa Prefecture, following Yokohama and Kawasaki.
