Oshino Hakkai
Oshino Hakkai (忍野八海) is a touristy set of eight ponds in Oshino, a small village in the Fuji Five Lake region, located between Lake Kawaguchiko and Lake Yamanakako on the site of a former sixth lake that dried out several hundred years ago. The eight ponds are fed by snow melt from the slopes of nearby Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through porous layers of lava for over 80 years, resulting in very clear spring water that is revered by the locals.
Next to one pond, visitors can drink the cool water straight from the source. The ponds are quite deep and have interesting freshwater plant life and large fish. Although the ponds have been developed into tourist attractions and can become quite crowded with visitors, they have a pleasant atmosphere as long as you do not expect untouched nature.
You will find many restaurants, souvenir shops and food vendors around the ponds which sell vegetables, sweets, pickles, crafts and other local products. Some operate small outdoor grills to attract shoppers with the alluring smells of roasted sweet potato and toasted rice crackers.
A small open air museum, the Hannoki Bayashi Shiryokan, surrounds Oshino Hakkai's largest pond and costs a small admission fee. It contains a traditional thatched roof farmhouse that can be entered and displays various farming tools, household items and samurai weapons.
During the cherry blossom season, which usually takes place in mid to late April (typically a few days later than around Lake Kawaguchiko), don't miss taking a walk along the nearby cherry tree-lined river with views of the blossoms in combination with Mount Fuji.
Getting there and around
Roughly every other bus between Kawaguchiko Station and Gotemba (approximately one per hour) makes a small detour via Oshino Hakkai (see timetable). Furthermore, the Fujikko tourist buses also make a stop at Oshino Hakkai. Get off at the "Oshino Hakkai" bus stop.
Hannoki Bayashi Shiryokan
How to Get There
Access Oshino Hakkai by train and then bus.
The closest train station is Fujisan Station on the Fuji Kyuko Line. A 20-minute bus ride will take you to Oshino Hakkai Iriguchi bus stop, which is just a five-minute walk to the main entrance.
If coming by car, it is a 10-minute drive from Yamanakako Interchange.
Hoto Noodles
The most famous local noodle dish
While hoto noodles resemble extra thick udon noodles, they are prepared more like dumplings, and lend a heartier quality to the dish than udon would. The soup is traditionally a miso based broth with pumpkin and other seasonal vegetables added. It can be enjoyed all over the Fujigoko region at specialized restaurants, hotels, ryokan and other restaurants as well.Fujigoko Onsen Guide
Some onsen baths have views of Mount Fuji
Iyashi no Sato
A small open air museum and craft village
Iyashi no Sato (いやしの里) stands on the site of a former farming village on the western shores of Lake Saiko. The village was destroyed by a landslide during a typhoon in 1966. Forty years later the village's traditional thatched roofed houses were reconstructed and reopened as an open air museum and traditional craft village where people can learn about the culture and try out and purchase different local handicrafts.
The village is now made up of more than twenty houses that have been converted into shops, restaurants, museums and galleries. Each of the shops specializes in a traditional craft such as pottery, incense or weaving. Some of the handicraft shops, provide hands-on workshops for visitors, such as making incense bags or an owl figurine. Activties cost 600-1100 yen and do not require advance reservations.
A few of the houses contain museums, such as the Watanabe House which has exhibits on the daily life of the farmers who used to live in the region. There is also an Erosion and Sediment Control Museum explaining the causes of the landslide that destroyed the village, and techniques used to prevent such disasters.
Former Togawa Residence
Former pilgrim inn for climbers of Mount Fuji
The Former Togawa Residence (旧外川家住宅, Kyū Togawa-ke Jūtaku) used to serve as a pilgrim inn along the approach to Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine, the historical northern trailhead to the summit of Mount Fuji. It is one of only a few surviving of more than 80 such inns that used to cater to pilgrims before improved transportation made it unnecessary for them to stay a night at the foot of the mountain before starting their ascent.
The Togawa Residence was constructed in 1768 and remained in operation until 1962. The building is only a few meters wide, but extends 40 meters into the back, consisting of an older front part and a newer rear section. The inside is made up of tatami rooms and a small shrine for the gods of Mount Fuji. Clothes and hiking equipment used by the oshi priests and pilgrims are also on display. The building is part of the World Heritage site surrounding Japan's most famous mountain.
Today, the residence serves as an annex of the Fujisan Museum, which stands 2.5 kilometers further south from the residence, and provides visitors with more information about the religious customs related to Mount Fuji and climbing the mountain in the old days.
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