Oshino hakkai

Oshino Hakkai is a very nice place with traditional Japanese vibes. Walking around here feels like you go back to old times, very calm and nostalgic. You can also see Mount Fuji from here on a clear day, which makes the view even more special. For me, the best moment to visit Oshino Hakkai is around sunset, when the light becomes softer and the atmosphere feels more peaceful. There are many unique local foods you can try and souvenir stores around the area, so it’s nice to explore slowly. You will also find many ponds, which are very beautiful and interesting to see. Overall, Oshino Hakkai is a good place to walk, eat, take photos, and enjoy a traditional side of Japan. Very relaxing and memorable spot.

Oshino Hakkai is a beautiful and peaceful village famous for its crystal-clear spring ponds fed by Mt. Fuji’s snowmelt. The water is unbelievably clear, and on a good day you can see Mt. Fuji reflected on the surface, making it a perfect spot for photography. The traditional houses, small bridges, and quiet pathways give the area a classic rural Japan atmosphere. The area is easy to walk around, free to enter, and filled with small local shops selling snacks and souvenirs. It’s a great place to slow down, enjoy nature, and take photos. While it can get crowded during peak hours, visiting in the morning makes the experience much more enjoyable. Overall, Oshino Hakkai is a must-visit if you’re near Mt. Fuji — simple, scenic, and calming, especially for those who appreciate nature and traditional Japanese landscapes.

As part of our day trip to experience Fujisan, we arrived at Oshino Hakkai 忍野八海. The location is a famous group of eight clear spring ponds located in Oshino Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. These ponds are fed by snowmelt from Mount Fuji that has filtered through porous volcanic layers over decades, resulting in crystal-clear water revered for its purity and beauty. The site is a designated natural monument and part of the Mount Fuji World Heritage area. The eight ponds are remnants of a much larger ancient lake called Utsu Lake, which was divided and partially dried up by volcanic activity hundreds of years ago. Today, Oshino Hakkai is a popular tourist spot known for its picturesque landscape combining traditional thatched roof buildings, water wheels, and reflections of Mount Fuji in the tranquil ponds. It has religious and cultural significance, historically serving as a pilgrimage site for mountain worshippers who purified themselves in the waters before climbing Mount Fuji. We drank the fresh spring water directly from the ponds. Oshino Hakkai’s spring water is recognized as among Japan’s top quality waters and is used locally for drinking, irrigation, and even hydropower. The area also features scenic walking paths and bridges around the ponds, making it a serene destination to appreciate nature and traditional Japanese rural scenery with the iconic view of Mount Fuji nearby. We had lunch (Grilled fish, squid, rice, fried chicken, fish cakes, 草餅) at a local restaurant as per our guide’s recommendation.

Really beautiful place to visit if you are near Mount Fuji i would recommend giving it a try. The ambiance is nice old town Japanese aesthetic and have really beautiful ponds and some delicious food as well. i would recommend to have Soba. PS:- PLEASE DON'T THROW COINS IN THE WATER.

A wonderful Japanese village with a magnificent view of Mount Fuji! The small village itself has a lot to offer with its great soba restaurants and the beautifully clear streams and ponds. You can see huge trout swimming around, and you can even order them as a snack at the next restaurant. I’m deducting a small star only because of the many tourists, but the village lives off them, so it’s all good. Highly recommended!

A beautiful, timeless village. There are so many natural springs here. It is free access but make sure that you have cash on you as many vendors do not accept card. Be careful with your phone as someone who took a photo of the 8 meter deep spring well, dropped it in and couldn't retrieve it. Some of the restaurants can become very popular.

Oshino Hakkai is a beautiful and serene village area known for its crystal-clear spring ponds fed by Mt. Fuji’s snowmelt. The entire place feels calm and refreshing, with traditional thatched-roof houses and charming bridges adding to the scenic appeal. The ponds are incredibly clear, offering amazing reflections and views of the aquatic plants beneath. There are also small shops and snack stalls around, making it a pleasant place to walk, explore, and enjoy local flavors. A peaceful and picturesque stop that perfectly complements any Mt. Fuji or Lake Yamanaka trip.

This might be one of the coolest places I have ever been and probably ever will go. Please add this to your Japan itinerary. A bit crowded but if you go into the museum portion for ¥300 you get some amazing views and history.

Yelp Review 2024 #188: About a 30-35 minutes bus ride from Kawaguchiko Station is a small town of Oshino. Oshino Hakkai boasts eight beautiful crystal clear ponds with Fuji in the background on a clear day. This was our last activity in Fuji. We got here a little before 8:30am and there was already a tour bus full of Chinese tourists. We didn't want to be too early knowing most shops don't open until 9:30am or 10am but we also didn't want to be here later in the day to avoid crowds and we still had a bus to Tokyo to catch. Our timing was just right. We avoided a bigger crowd and we were able to eat at the shops that were open. The only thing we didn't get to enjoy was the roasted chestnuts because they weren't ready yet. Expect to spend 1-2 hours here to explore, enjoy the scenery, walk around, take pictures, check out the food stalls and shop for souvenirs, and eat. Eat at Maruten - they have isobeage (like fish cakes on a stick) and they open early. There are tables and seats right next to it. There are vending machines for drinks of all kinds. There are vendors selling dango, matcha, ice cream, Japanese snacks, fruits, mochi, etc. Definitely check this place out. You won't regret it.

Oshino Hakkai is part of the Mt Fuji World Heritage Site and personally was not enjoyable. I went on a structured tour here after reading about eight springs from Mt Fuji and seeing pictures like the waterfall I have attached below. It seemed so serene looking, so perfect. In reality there's many different shops and restaurants and a press of people so thick that jostling was quite common. Here's the thing - jostling isn't something that happens in Japan. The Japanese are very polite and are mindful, but tourists? We can be the worst and here it was evident. I looked at these beautifully clear ponds, each with a different type of fish, seeing signs that stated to not throw coins into the ponds in many different languages only to see people tossing coins in the pond. The press of people was insane. Lines upon lines with no order. The only silver lining was visiting the Hannoki Bayashi Shiryokan open air museum that surrounds the largest pond. To enter that museum an admission fee had to be paid, and judging from how few people were there either they controlled the number of people entering or people didn't want to pay. It was lovely - very peaceful and serene. But it was the only aspect of this tour that was.

Oshino Hakkai - it roughly translates to "Seven seas of Oshino Village". But these "seven seas" are referring to seven ponds in the area. They were results of volcanic activities(if I remember correctly). But these ponds are so crystal clear and beautiful! This is why it attracts so many tourists. Not only the ponds but pairing with Mt Fuji and old school huts makes it soo picturesque that Bob Ross would've painted it he'd seen it. You can stroll most of the area for free except one which cost ¥400 admission. But it's well worth it. I sound like "this is the best place to be!". And honestly, it felt so. Luckily, the weather cooperated on the day I came and it made everything so fantastic. But if it's cloudy(or rainy) and Mt Muji is nowhere to be seen, it's definitely 2~3 stars. So, check the forecast before you come here.

Lots of tourists and tourist traps. Tons of souvenirs, food shops and people. I enjoyed looking at the crystal clear water, fish and traditional buildings. Parking: there is FREE parking right next to Oshino Hakkai. All the places going to there charge you.

One word: Touristy. I will not grade this location as harshly as I want to, mainly because the weather played a large role in my dismay, and that's not the place's fault. However, I must ask, in ugly American fashion, "What's the big deal about this place?" I came here with a tour after the "trek" up Mt. Fuji. We were told Oshino Hakkai is a UNESCO Heritage Site. I read that the 8 ponds used to have spiritual significance towards pilgrims that wanted to "cleanse" themselves before their trek up Mt. Fuji. The ponds aren't large at all. Really, a few of them were non-descript and didn't have any life in some them. Other ponds had koi fish, especially the largest pond, but otherwise, meh. Surrounding the largest pond are shops and museums in buildings with thatched roofs. Most of the shops sell trinkets, food, sweets, and souvenirs. I had some dango, which is a warm glutenous sweet ball with sweet soy. It wasn't too bad though not my favorite, as I'd probably prefer mochi. I would've liked this site more if it was a nice day and was able to see Mt. Fuji, based on the pictures.

Everything depends on weather.If weather is okay, you can see Mt.Fuji.If it is cloudy, you may not see Mt.Fuji.When I visited there, I could see Mt.Fuji.But it was getting cloudy. Sadly, Mt.Fuji was covered with clouds.Regarding the ponds, they were so beautiful and spiritual. I also could take many selfies around traditional Japanese houses.I really loved them..Again, everything depends on weather, please visit a sunny day.

Liked this place a lot more during my tour. Another awesome spot to take photos for Mt Fuji, plus many street vendors with delicious and cheap food. With the elegant buildings, wishing wells and ponds, it feels like you're in feudal Japan walking around here!

There is a lady selling Apples and tofu here... we were originally wanting to buy one and ask her to cut in 8 pieces. If it tastes good, we could buy more. But this lady was afraid that we only buy one, so she refused to help cut it. Since we had 8 people, in order that everyone can try one piece, we had no choice but to buy two. Apples are ok. But service is really bad.