I distinctly remember my trip to the Oshino Hakkai. It was the first time I saw Mount Fuji…. And everyone got just sooo excited then. Our lovely Japanese tour guide who was actually an Indonesian Liana, pointed it out to us while everyone was half dozing or busy with other things and everyone on the bus just started exclaiming in awe…

A couple of fellow travellers and me were all armed with our cameras and smartphones ready to catch a good picture of Mount Fuji . And well, seeing it for real even seemed surreal especially with its snow capped peak and all…. Pardon the reflection in the picture above… it was taken via the bus window….

The bus then entered a small town and into some smaller lanes/roads and finally stopped. We disembarked and followed Liana as she brought us to the Oshino Hakkai

My first impression of the village was just ,”Oh Wow”!!! It was just a small village , yes, and supposedly famous for its ponds and spring water, fed by the melted snow from none other than Mount Fuji… but it was rustic and so serene and charming….I was in love with the place….

It was of course a MUST to take photos of Mount Fuji especially when it provided such a lovely backdrop to the oh so picturesque village… Liana said we were lucky as the tour bus that arrived a few days ago did not quite get to see Mount Fuji as it can get obscured by fog and bad weather.

I brought along a yukata which had been given by my Japanese friend when she visited me at my hotel and I took the opportunity to throw it on for a slightly more Japanese look…..

Anyway, Oshino Hakkai is a truly gorgeous and peaceful rustic village located in the Fuji Five Lakes area between Kawaguchi-Ko and Yamanaka-Ko. It has eight freshwater ponds, thought to be the site of Mount Fuji’s sixth lake, which dried up hundreds of years ago.

Fed from the snow melt of Mount Fuji, the pond’s water is filtered down the mountain through porous layers of lava, arriving at Oshino Hakkai almost 80 years later! The water is crystal clear, and each pond is home to different fresh water plants and marine life at varying depths.

This pond is about 8 metres deep… if my intepretation of what the signage meant is correct…LOL

There are dragon water spouts where you can fill up your water bottle, or use your hands to scoop up some water for a drink. I recommend bringing a bottle. This water comes from Mount Fuji, and it’s been filtered for nearly 80 years, it is highly revered by locals. It’s even listed as some of the best water in Japan

The area of Oshino Hakkai is also a nice place to walk around. It has some shops and stalls selling interesting goodies – mochi, tempura, soft serve, chocolates, souvenirs…

And almost everywhere you turn, the place is just so instagram worthy or picturesque…

There are just so many beautiful homes and gardens along the way as well…

…I just could not resist taking pictures of the colourful flowers as I slowly made my way back to the bus and waited for the others….

For your information, I visited this place in Mid May a couple of years or so ago and there were still soooo many glorious and beautiful flowers here around…

Address: Shibokusa, Oshino, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture 401-0511, Japan

GPS: 35.46045,138.83281.