Oshino Hakkai

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About Oshino Hakkai

Oshino Hakkai are eight spring-fed ponds in the village of Oshino, between Fujiyoshida and Lake Yamanaka, about 5 km from Fujiyoshida town center. The water comes from snow and rain that fall on Fuji, seep through lava layers and take decades to reappear there, filtered and very clear. The ponds are part of the Mount Fuji World Heritage site because pilgrims used them for purification before climbing.

Each pond has a name and a sign with the tradition associated with it. The most visited, Wakuike, shows the bottom several meters down, with aquatic plants and carp, and water bubbling up through the sand. Small bridges and paths connect the ponds, among thatched-roof houses and fields.

The village has food and souvenir shops, stalls selling tofu and vegetables, and a small museum in an old house, Hannoki Bayashi, with rural artifacts. On clear days, Fuji appears behind the houses and fields.

The place is a frequent stop for tours and gets crowded at midday. The pond water is protected: you must not touch it, throw coins or feed the fish. In winter, with snow on the thatched roofs and Fuji in the background, the village looks like an old engraving. Nearby, Lake Yamanaka, the largest and highest of the Five Lakes, has shores with hotels, swans and an eastern view of Fuji, and can be included in the same bus itinerary.