Oshino-hakkai [忍野八海]
1) Fuji-Q Highland 2) Arakurayama Sengen Park
3) Shinobi-no-Sato 4) Oshino-hakkai
5) Shiraito Falls
Red circles are the 5th stations and are the entrances of mountain trail.
Oshino-hakkai is the area with eight springs at the northeastern foot of Mount Fuji.
It is located between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka.
And Shonobi-no-Sato (Ninja village) is about 1.5 km west of this area.
Additionally, it is located about 14 km northeast of the top of Mount Fuji.
There are eight ponds that the water from Mt.Fuji is springing out.
Seven ponds of them are within about 200 meters, and a pond is about 500 meters away from the others.
The melted snow water on Mount Fuji soaks into underground, and the filted water springs here about 80 years later.
So the water is very clear, and the temperature is 12 to 14 degrees C.
Originally here was a part of a large lake.
By the eruption of Mount Fuji in the early 9th century, the lake was divided into a lake around this area and Lake Yamanaka.
After that, the lake in this area had dried up, then only eight springing places have been left.
"Oshino" is the name of the village.
"Hakkai" means "eight seas".
Because eight is a lucky number in Buddhism, eight springs have been used to resemble eight seas as sacred places.
Here is designated as a national natural treasure.
And it was designated as World Cultural Heritage site as a part of Mount Fuji.
The scenery around the ponds is certainly one of the traditional Japanese countryside.
Around grouped seven ponds, there are many shop and ryokans.
So many tourists visit here as one of the popular spots around Mount Fuji.
A few artificial ponds have been built near the shops, then ironically it is the most crowded place in this area.
Additionally, some foreign tourists toss a coin into the pond continuously.
The pond is not "Trevi Fountain" but natural spring !
In a result, the water quality is degrading, and the destruction of nature continues.
We wish you would stop destroying the nature of Oshino-hakkai.
How to get here
Get on the route bus for Gotenba at Kawaguchiko or Fujisan station of Fuji Kyuko Railway, then get off at Oshino-hakkai stop.
About 23 minutes from Kawaguchiko, about 15 minutes from Fujisan station.
