5 Must-Visit Scenic Spots in Biei! Discover its Deep Charms and Best Ways to Explore

Shikisai-no-Oka

📍 Address: Shinsei 3rd, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 071-0473, Japan

Shikisai-no-Oka is Biei’s quintessential entertainment garden. Spanning a vast hilly area roughly equivalent to three Tokyo Domes, dozens of flower varieties are planted in vibrant strips, creating a breathtaking panorama akin to a colorful patchwork carpet. Changing its appearance with each season from spring to autumn, featuring tulips, lavender, sunflowers, and salvia, it offers new delights with every visit.

While it’s a tourist farm, it also functions as an ‘active farm,’ allowing visitors to experience Biei’s powerful land. Despite its sprawling, undulating terrain, there are ample transport options like the ‘Norokko Go’ tractor bus (500 yen for high school students and above), which completes a circuit in 15 minutes, or private buggies and carts. Its high level of hospitality, ensuring even those with mobility concerns or small children can fully enjoy the magnificent floral scenery against the backdrop of the grand Daisetsuzan mountain range, is a huge plus for travelers.

The best season is summer, when flowers are in full bloom, but if you prefer to avoid crowds and enjoy at a leisurely pace, October is also recommended. The autumn-colored flowers and kochia foliage are beautiful, and a ‘secret’ advantage during this period is free admission and parking. With year-round attractions like alpaca feeding experiences and snowmobiling across the white snowy plains in winter, it’s a sacred place to enjoy Hokkaido’s essence throughout all four seasons.

Zerubu-no-Oka

📍 Address: Oaza, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 071-0200, Japan

Located along National Route 237, Zerubu-no-Oka is easily accessible as a base for Biei sightseeing. Its unique name is derived from combining the last characters of three Japanese words: ‘kaze’ (wind), ‘kaoru’ (scent), and ‘asobu’ (play). True to its name, it’s an ideal viewpoint where you can feel the pleasant breeze and play amidst the fragrant flowers.

While admission and parking are free, the garden features beautifully designed flower mazes that follow the curves of the hill. The summer lavender and sunflowers are particularly spectacular, and from the observation deck, you can see ‘Ken & Mary’s Tree’ (mentioned later) and the majestic peaks of the Asahidake and Tokachidake mountain ranges. Activities like riding a buggy (from 800 yen per person) up the hills offer exhilarating fun, and the friendly staff who readily help with photos add to its well-regarded warm atmosphere.

The attached shop sells fresh red-flesh melons and Biei-grown vegetables, making it perfect for a short break during your drive. It’s a spot filled with kindness and beauty, where everyone, even on a three-generation family trip, can enjoy exploring with a smile and without strain.

Shirogane Blue Pond

📍 Address: Shirogane, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 071-0235, Japan

Shirogane Blue Pond, globally renowned for its adoption as an Apple Mac wallpaper, was originally an artificial pond created by chance when water accumulated during embankment construction to prevent volcanic mudflows from Mt. Tokachi. However, its mystical ‘Biei Blue’ beauty is nothing short of a natural miracle.

Why does the water appear blue? It’s because water containing aluminum components, gushing from the upstream ‘Shirakaba Waterfall,’ mixes with the Biei River water, generating fine particles called ‘colloids.’ These particles scatter sunlight, delivering only blue light to the human eye. The sight of withered larch trees silently reflecting on the water’s surface possesses a dreamlike beauty, as if time has stopped, evoking breathtaking emotion.

The pond’s color shifts from cobalt blue to emerald green depending on the weather, season, and time of day, making the timing of your visit crucial. On a clear morning, there are relatively fewer people, and the sunlight is perfect for stunning photographs. From November to April, night illumination is held, offering a unique winter spectacle where snow-covered scenery intertwines with blue light. We recommend visiting in conjunction with the nearby roadside station ‘Shirogane Birke’.

Patchwork Road

📍 Address: Kyosei Okubo, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 071-0216, Japan

The ‘Patchwork Road’ refers to the entire undulating hilly area spread across the northwestern part of Biei. Colorful fields stretch out like geometric patterns, boasting an overwhelming scale reminiscent of European pastoral landscapes. It is not a designated tourist spot, but rather an art created by the genuine farmlands cultivated daily by local farmers.

There’s an important agricultural reason why this landscape appears like a ‘patchwork.’ To prevent ‘continuous cropping failure,’ where the soil becomes depleted by growing the same crop repeatedly, Biei practices ‘crop rotation,’ annually alternating plantings of potatoes, wheat, beans, and sugar beets. Consequently, white potato flowers, golden wheat, and green pasture are arranged in patchwork-like sections, creating different patterns each year.

With few utility poles obstructing the view, the contrast between the vast sky and the colorful earth is ideal for driving or cycling. Since many spots lack dedicated parking, be mindful not to impede traffic when touring by car, and always show respect for the farmers’ work as you take in the magnificent scenery.

Ken & Mary’s Tree

📍 Address: Kyosei Okubo, Omura, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido 071-0216, Japan

An unmissable highlight of the Patchwork Road is ‘Ken & Mary’s Tree,’ a lone poplar standing majestically on a vast hill. It gained immense popularity as the filming location for the 1972 Nissan Skyline commercial ‘Ken & Mary ~Like Love and Wind~’ and remains a symbol of Biei, attracting countless travelers across generations.

Said to be over 90 years old, this grand tree stretches straight towards the sky, emphasizing the vastness of the surrounding fields and heavens. Its beauty is exceptional, especially at dusk or during winter when the landscape transforms into a silvery-white world. Easy access is provided by its location, just a short distance from the well-maintained parking lot.

However, there’s a crucial reality travelers must know. This tree stands not in a tourist area, but on ‘private farmland’ where farmers carefully cultivate their crops. In recent years, there has been a surge of etiquette violations, with people stepping into fields in pursuit of ‘Instagrammable photos,’ leading to numerous ‘No Entry’ signs being erected to protect the landscape. Beautiful scenery is built upon the livelihoods of the people who live there. Only by observing quietly from the asphalt roads and adhering to good manners can this magnificent view endure forever.

[Tips] Local Tips for 120% Enjoyment of Biei Sightseeing

Biei’s tourist attractions are scattered over a wide area, so renting a car is generally essential. Especially during the peak summer season, travelers from all over the country flock here, which can lead to parking lot queues around popular spots like ‘Shirogane Blue Pond’ and ‘Shikisai-no-Oka’. To avoid crowds, a smart strategy is to aim for the morning hours before 9 AM, before tour buses arrive, or in the evening.

Furthermore, the beauty of Biei’s hills is intrinsically tied to ‘agricultural activities.’ Stepping even one foot into a field to take photos can contaminate the soil with bacteria from your shoelaces, potentially causing fatal damage to crops. Let’s make it a basic rule to ‘photograph from the asphalt roads’ and embrace ethical travel to preserve this beautiful landscape for future generations.