The man behind Mt. Fuji...

Tokuaki Fujita, his friends call him "Tony" was born in Tokushima, Japan. From a young age, Tony was interested in athletics with a special emphasis in classical Greco-Roman wrestling. His determination
and strong will enabled him to excel at Nippon Physical Education College where he trained and competed in wrestling.

After the Olympics, he headed for California where he pursued a new interest in restaurants. He worked his way up from a dishwasher to a chef in a renowned French restaurant. He then moved to the east coast where he worked as a chef and then a manager of a Japanese restaurant. After gaining a great deal of professional experience, Tony decided to open his own place, a small luncheonette. He and his wife, Kazue (friends call her Kay), whom he married in 1968, opened "Mr. Fujiyama's" in Ridgefield, New Jersey.

It was a difficult period for the couple but their hard work paid off as their business flourished. Soon they were able to expand and open their first Mt. Fuji Japanese Steakhouse. Although the luncheonette was successful it was not the kind of restaurant Tony ultimately envisioned.
His goal was to present Japanese style cooking, using American ingredients. Steak for example, is not commonly served in most restaurants in Japan (especially thirty years ago), but it is one of the most popular foods in America.

Tony decided to create a chain of restaurants that would present Japanese-style cuisine cooked right before the customer on a teppan-yaki table.

The restaurants...

So was born Mt. Fuji Japanese Steakhouse.

Through the years, with many trials and tribulations as well as successes and accomplishments, Tony and Kay have come to own two Japanese steakhouses (Hasbrouck Heights and Hillburn, New York.)

Today, the Fujita family and their entrusted management staff (many of whom have over 25 years of experience with the company) help to maintain the cultural traditions of Japan in all of their restaurants. The décor and exterior has been renovated and improved throughout the years but the outstanding food and service have remained consistent for over thirty years.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our brief history and it has allows us to convey the reasons why we take great pride in our commitment to our customers.

We hope you have a pleasurable dining experience and we look forward to seeing you soon!