Oshino Hakkai are the eight springs found in Oshino, Yamanashi, Japan. The aquifer water from Mount Fuji comes out to the ground to form these springs. They are a Natural monument of Japan, part of the Mount Fuji World Heritage Site. Winter offers a particularly stunning vista of the iconic mountain. That vista is the striking “Diamond Fuji” phenomenon, which can only be seen from certain places due to the position of the Earth. Diamond Fuji is when the rising or setting sun aligns perfectly with the peak of Mt. Fuji, as though the caldera is cupping the sun. 

A small open-air museum, the Hannoki Bayashi Shiryokan, surrounds the largest pond. A small admission fee is required. The water in the Waku Pond is especially clear and clean, and visitors are encouraged to drink it and even take some home in a bottle. It’s a great place to buy gifts and souvenirs, street food is amazing as well.