Fuji Harness Welcome Day!

"Fuji Harness – The Home of Guide Dogs" is a guide dog training centre where anyone can visit without the need for a reservation. In addition to training guide dogs, Fuji Harness serves as a comprehensive care facility for guide dogs throughout their lives. Here, not only puppies and dogs in training are cared for, but also retired guide dogs enjoy their time in a safe and nurturing environment.

Fuji Harness is the only guide dog training facility in Japan that is open to visitors year-round. Inside the facility, you will find panel displays to learn about guide dogs and visual impairments, as well as interactive booths where you can experience how visually impaired individuals perceive the world.

Daily demonstrations are thoughtfully crafted to showcase the mission and values of the association, offering visitors a deeper understanding of vision impairments and the vital role guide dogs play in enabling safe and comfortable mobility. Each day, the content is carefully tailored to provide an engaging and meaningful experience for all attendees.

We warmly invite you to visit Fuji Harness and discover the incredible world of guide dogs!

Signboard Along the Road, Fuji Harness, and Mount Fuji  

Overview of "Fuji Harness – The Home of Guide Dogs"

Opened: October 2006
Location: 381 Hitoana, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Site Area: 19,867m²
Staff: 25 members

The facility is designed to resemble a small town, with several cottages connected by a spacious walkway that winds through the grounds. Each cottage operates independently, fulfilling its specific function, while the entire facility is intended to be experienced as a unified and vibrant landscape where various activities take place. This thoughtful design creates a welcoming and enriching environment for all who visit.

Fuji Harness: A Popular Destination Throughout the Year

Fuji Harness welcomes many visitors throughout the year, including a significant number of repeat visitors. However, to attract new visitors who may not yet have an interest in guide dogs or visually impaired individuals, a special event titled "Fuji Harness Welcome Day!" was planned for four days during the 2025 fiscal year:

・     Golden Week (4th May 2025)
Golden Week refers to a series of public holidays in Japan, spanning late April to early May. It is one of the longest holiday periods in Japan.
・     Summer Holidays (9th and 10th August 2025)
Mount Fuji Day (23rd February 2026)

Today we will focus on the "Fuji Harness Welcome Day!" held in the spring.
The event attracted 411 visitors, making it a lively and successful occasion. The demonstration area was particularly popular, drawing a large crowd, with some attendees even standing due to the high turnout. It was a vibrant and engaging event for all who attended.

A survey of visitor numbers during the Golden Week period revealed that 810 people visited over the 10 days, with approximately 50% of them attending on the day of this special event.

For the demonstration on the event day, we planned a special programme. Guide dog trainers and kennel staff, who do not usually appear in demonstrations, participated and explained their work using photos and videos. The session was highly interactive, with many questions from the audience and lively exchanges. Additionally, an actual guide dog user joined the event, allowing them to share their experiences and thoughts directly with the visitors.

As part of another initiative, we held a "Mother and Puppy 🐾 Special Photo Exhibition." While some photos of mother dogs and their puppies at Fuji Harness had previously been shared on our website, social media, and YouTube, this time we displayed over 100 photos taken by our staff along the facility’s corridors. The exhibition featured many heartwarming images of the dogs’ adorable appearances, playful expressions, and moments that reflected the staff’s deep care and affection for them. Visitors thoroughly enjoyed this unique and touching display.

This concludes our report on the spring "Fuji Harness Welcome Day!" On the day of the event, 411 visitors attended, including 236 first-time visitors. We are delighted that so many people had the opportunity to enjoy learning about guide dogs and visual impairments.
We plan to share updates on the two summer holiday event days and the Mount Fuji Day event in a future article. Please look forward to the next update from Fuji Harness!