If you are on a DIY adventure to Mt Fuji and you want to holiday like a local you can’t go past Oshino Hakkai Village. As far as “Fuji on a shoe string” goes, It’s true to say, that generally speaking this is a “touristy” village. However, over the years and into the present, it is mostly frequented by Japanese domestic travelers looking for a cheap weekend off.
This cute little village, found in the five lakes area of Fuji, is dotted with eight springs (ponds) on the site of a sixth lake that dried up a few centuries ago. The ponds are deep, very clear, and are full of beautiful big fat trout. They are surrounded by a winding array of streets and shops, built in the classically ancient Japanese way, out of local Japanese cedar and roof thatch.
Fuji on a shoe string obviously means its cheap. How cheap? Well, its totally free to get in, and the type of goods on sale is, as previously mentioned, designed for the local Japanese market, so prices are very reasonable. The goods on display are also typically what the Japanese themselves would buy, mochi, dango, seaweed, sweet beans, sweet potato, and all manner of cheap but cute merchandise and materials.
The really great thing about doing Fuji on a shoe string is that your DIY adventure, over the course of your whole Japan trip, becomes SO much more economical and gives you much more bang for your Aussie buck. Japan is well known as being the “Land of the middle man” which means that everyone involved in the inbound travel market is taking a cut of your travel yen, but you can certainly avoid this by moving off the beaten track and finding your own way around. This is where our site is here to help.
As my art studio is just around the corner, me and my family usually drive, but most travelers will want to catch the train and then the bus. From Tokyo, get on the Fuji Kyuko line and get off at Fujisan Station (Fujiyoshida) From there it’s a twenty minute bus ride to the Oshino Hakkai Iriguchi bus stop and then you only have to walk for about five minutes to enter the village. Just follow the signs.
While we are talking about Fuji on a shoe string lets side track a little and talk about shoestrings in Japan in general. If you plan on climbing Mt Fuji, it is definitely recommended that you don’t go cheap on your climbing shoes. Get a good pair WITH laces. The last thing you need is a blow out halfway up the mountain! On the other hand, you would also be advised to bring a second pair of shoes WITHOUT laces. This is because it makes things so much easier when you have to remove your shoes constantly at all the places that require it. You don’t necessarily have to buy a new pair to solve this problem but if you have slip on shoes already it’s a preferable choice.
Meanwhile, back at the village you can really spend a whole day there just walking about and seeing the sights. The water from the ponds has started off as snow on Mt Fuji and then has seeped deep into the ground, emerging from the springs as subterranean water. Its very cold water. In fact so cold that the sign next to one source challenges you to hold your hand in it for more than 30 seconds! A feat which my own children have always beaten me at…
Fuji on a shoe string at Oshino Hakkai Village really is a very cheap day out. Accommodation aside, you are only really looking at the cost of the bus fare plus lunch. Freshly cooked trout is only about 600 yen per fish (AUS $6.00) which beats Aussie prices hands down. Other Japanese food options don’t cost much more than this either. If you take the boat tour of Lake Kawaguchi you will need to pay a bit more but you will get some awesome views of Mt Fuji reflected in the lake.
About 10,000 people live in the village. (That’s the same amount of Aussie Expats living in Japan!) It’s all World Heritage as is Mt Fuji and the surrounding area. I would recommend staying overnight in a ryokan or minshukus which always have tatami mat rooms. Book well ahead of the season.
Fuji on a shoe string also means you will need to get around cheaply. Cycling is just the DIY way to do it! There are quite a few cycling routes around and through the village with breathtaking views. The Fuji five lakes cycling road (another post in this blog) is a 20 km loop ride. If this sounds too much there is a shorter 10km route that runs through the village and by the eight ponds. Its aptly known as the “Oshino Hakkai Cycling Course.” There is also a nature trail running through the village that is easy to walk, even for kids, or a more challenging trail that leads to the top of nearby Mt Hakusan.
What else in terms of Fuji on a shoe string is free there? Temples and Shrines of course! Beautiful gardens and architecture abound. The Oshino Hakkai Shrine is dedicated to the water goddess. Also, in the area you can visit the Hitoana and Sengen Shrines. Nearby as well is Togaku-ji Temple built in the 14th century. There is also a museum nearby where you can learn about the areas UNESCO world Cultural Heritage rating. (@ nominal cost!)
Fuji on a shoe string at Oshino Hakkai Village? You bet ya!