Popular scenic spot…Water quality of “Oshino-Hachikai” in Yamanashi deteriorates due to large amount of money thrown by inbound tourists [Local Photo Report].

Fuji, a World Heritage Site, is fed by subsoil water from Mt.
Fuji, a World Heritage Site. ……

With the start of the Golden Week holidays, “mistaken manners” by inbound tourists have been frequently observed at sightseeing spots across the country. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to the “throwing money” problem that has been occurring at Oshinohakkai (Yamanashi Prefecture), a World Heritage site that is part of the Mt. In order to clarify the actual situation, our research team visited the area.

On a weekend in late April, Oshino Hakkai, which consists of eight ponds, was extremely crowded. More than 80% of the visitors were foreigners of European, Southeast Asian, and South American descent (……), and all that reached their ears was a multitude of languages and the incessant sound of shutterbugs.

What caught my attention more than the number of people, however, were the countless coins scattered at the bottom of Wakuike, which boasts the largest volume of spring water among the eight ponds. Fuji, but the pond is not as clear as it once was. Instead, the coins seem to have caused diffuse reflections and corrosion, which have worsened the circulation of the water and resulted in water pollution. In some ponds, large amounts of algae were floating around, covering the surface of the water. A woman working at a nearby store said with a grim look on her face, “The algae have been growing abnormally in the past few years.

The number of algae has increased abnormally over the past few years,” said a woman working at a nearby shop. Especially in Kagami-ike, which is said to have a surface as beautiful as a mirror, the increase has been so great that you can hardly see the inside of the pond. Recently, the number of people imitating this trend has been increasing, and it is getting worse day by day.

Just as he peeked into the bottom of the pond, the reporter witnessed the moment when two siblings of a foreign tourist of elementary school age threw coins into the spring-fed pond. The mother was probably unaware that this was a prohibited act. After filming the throwing without paying attention, they put their hands together as if praying toward the pond.

We also interviewed a group of Westerners near the pond. They asked, “Do you know that throwing money is prohibited here?” They replied, “I had no idea. I think people mistake it for the Trevi Fountain (a famous landmark in Rome, Italy, where it is said that if you throw a coin into the fountain, your wish will come true),” he said.

The deterioration of the water quality at Oshinohakkai is an unusual situation. When we inquired about countermeasures to be taken, we received the following response from the person in charge at the Oshino Village Office.

We are not conducting any investigation regarding water pollution. We are currently conducting a crowdfunding campaign to set up an environmental preservation cooperation box.

Will the day ever come when this popular scenic spot can regain its original value?

From the May 15-22, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY