Oshino HakkaiUnclaimed

Take a local bus towards Oshino Hakkai from the bus stop in front of Fujisan Station on the Fujikyu Railway, get off at Oshino Hakkai-iriguchi or Oshino Hakkai and walk about 5 minutes. The journey takes about 20 minutes.

You may walk with a pet around the outdoor ponds, but pets are generally not admitted to facilities such as the Hannokibayashi Museum. Please be considerate of others when it is busy, and contact each facility for details.

There are many restaurants and souvenir shops around Oshino Hakkai, including places serving Yamanashi's local dish hoto, which go well with a visit.

The ponds can generally be visited 24 hours a day. Sokonuke Pond can only be seen during the Hannokibayashi Museum's opening hours (9:00-17:00). The shops nearby are closed at night and early morning, so a daytime visit is recommended.

The ponds are some distance apart (Deguchi Pond in particular is away from the centre). Allow about 60-90 minutes on foot for the central ponds alone, and longer to see them all. A walking map is useful.

Seven of the eight ponds can be visited free of charge. Sokonuke Pond lies within the grounds of the Hannokibayashi Museum, so admission to the museum is required (adults 300 yen, elementary school children 150 yen, younger children 100 yen).

The cherry blossom season in April, the summer holidays in July and August and the autumn colours in October and November are especially busy. As a destination popular with overseas visitors it is also busy at weekends and on long holidays. An early morning visit is comparatively quiet and recommended.

Waku Pond, in the centre of Oshino Hakkai, is the most popular. The water can clearly be seen rising, and the view with Mount Fuji is beautiful. Choshi Pond is the only one where you can watch the water welling up directly from the bottom.

It is the collective name for eight spring-fed ponds, formed as snowmelt from Mount Fuji seeps underground over many years and rises again at the surface. Designated a national natural monument and one of Japan's 100 finest waters, it was recognised in 2013 as part of the Mount Fuji World Cultural Heritage site. The clear spring water with Mount Fuji behind makes a fine scene.

All eight ponds are recognised as part of the Mount Fuji World Cultural Heritage site. They are also a national natural monument and were chosen in 1985 among Japan's 100 finest waters by the Ministry of the Environment.

There are several private paid car parks around Oshino Village, generally around 300 yen per vehicle, including some that take coaches. Public transport is also recommended.

About 20 minutes by local bus bound for Oshino Hakkai from Fujisan Station on the Fujikyu Railway, alighting at Oshino Hakkai. By car, about 15 minutes from Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway.

Parking is available. Please check the official information for details.

Shibokusa, Oshino Village, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture

There are no closed days (Sokonuke Pond closes on irregular days).

The ponds can be walked around 24 hours a day. Sokonuke Pond, within the grounds of the Hannokibayashi Museum, is open 9:00-17:00.

Walking round the eight ponds is free. Sokonuke Pond alone requires admission to the Hannokibayashi Museum (adults 300 yen, elementary school children 150 yen, younger children 100 yen).