Oshino Hakkai
忍野八海
Eight spring ponds where Mount Fuji's snowmelt, filtered through the ground for decades, wells up crystal clear and blue, surrounded by a village that keeps its thatched-roof houses.
Oshino Hakkai is in Oshino Village, between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka. Its eight springs, including Yuwaki Pond, Deguchi Pond, Kagami Pond and Shōbu Pond, are fed by Mount Fuji's snowmelt after about 20 years of underground filtration, and the water is exceptionally clear. The springs are designated a national natural monument and are part of the Mount Fuji World Heritage property. The central Yuwaki Pond is about 8 meters deep and a brilliant blue, with rainbow trout swimming in it. Around it are thatched-roof old houses and water wheels, and on clear days you can frame Mount Fuji in the same shot. In the village you can taste soba, tofu and kusa-mochi made with the spring water, or drink the water directly. The eight ponds themselves are free. Only the Sokonuke Pond inside the Harunoki Forest Museum requires a ¥300 admission fee. A walking loop centered on Yuwaki Pond takes about 1 hour. Access: take a bus toward Lake Yamanaka from Kawaguchiko Station or Fujisan Station, about 20–25 minutes, and get off at 'Oshino Hakkai.' Note: this is a popular tour-group destination, and crowds are heavy around noon, so it's best to come in the morning or late afternoon. Some artificial ponds marked 'Oshino Hakkai' were dug by merchants; the real eight ponds have official signs.
Opening hours
Open all day (archives 09:00–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Jinja
- Honcho Street, Fujiyoshida
- Arakurayama Sengen Park
- Fuji-Q Highland
- Lake Yamanaka
- Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
- Lawson Kawaguchiko Station (Mt. Fuji Lawson)
- Lake Kawaguchi