Biei Blue Pond and Patchwork Hills: Seasonal Landscapes of Hokkaido

Biei Town in Kamikawa District, Hokkaido, is one of Japan's great scenic areas, known for hills where colourful farmland spreads like patchwork and for the mysterious "Blue Pond" that shines cobalt blue. The landscape, in which fields of wheat, potatoes and beans draw geometric patterns across gently rolling hills, is like a painting. And the "Blue Pond," which shot to fame in recent years for its dreamlike beauty, changes its expression with the season and the time of day, continuing to captivate everyone who visits. It is an area that concentrates the grand natural beauty of Hokkaido.

Highlights

• Blue Pond: Aluminum from Shirogane hot springs creates the unique blue color
• Patchwork Hills: Lavender, wheat, and potato fields in a colorful tapestry
• Ken and Mary's Tree: Famous poplar from a classic TV commercial
• Seven Star Tree: Biei's iconic lone tree

The Mysterious Cobalt Blue of the "Blue Pond"

What made Biei famous overnight is the "Blue Pond," whose surface, as the name says, shines blue. Created by chance in the course of disaster-prevention works on Mount Tokachi, the pond is said to appear a mysterious cobalt blue because aluminium contained in the water flowing in from nearby sources such as Shirahige Falls scatters the sunlight. The scene woven by the standing dead larch trees in the water and the blue surface is dreamlike, and it shines especially beautifully on clear days. In winter the pond freezes and is covered with snow so that the water surface can no longer be seen, and the Biei Town Tourism Association therefore holds an illumination from around late October to late April of the following year (for fiscal 2025, from 24 October 2025 to 22 April 2026, from sunset until 9 p.m.).

The Painting-Like "Patchwork Hills"

Another of Biei's attractions is the rural landscape known as the "Patchwork Road," spreading across the whole hillside. Fields planted with crops of many colours run like patchwork across the undulating hills, changing hue with the seasons. Symbolic trees are dotted about, such as the "Ken and Mary Tree" and the "Seven Star Tree," standing alone on gentle slopes, and they are popular as photography spots. According to the Biei Town Tourism Association, the Ken and Mary Tree is known for having appeared in a Nissan Skyline commercial in 1972, and it is one of the landscapes that symbolise the hills of Biei. The vast land, the blue sky and the richly coloured hills are full of the sense of openness that is so characteristic of Hokkaido.

An Accidental Masterpiece Created by a Town That Lives with a Volcano

The Blue Pond was not made for tourism. According to the explanation of the Biei Town Tourism Association, water collected behind an embankment built during disaster-prevention works on Mount Tokachi, and because that water held an uncannily blue colour and, together with the standing dead larches, created a dreamlike scene, it came to be called the "Blue Pond." Biei Town records that Mount Tokachi also erupted in 1988, when about 400 residents of Biei Town and Kamifurano Town were temporarily evacuated. Preparations made to protect life downstream from volcanic mudflows ended up producing a landscape famous both in Japan and abroad — the white dead trees jutting out of the water are also proof of those origins.

As to why it looks blue, the Biei Town Tourism Association introduces two explanations: that water of differing composition from the Biei River and the Iozawa River and others mixes together and reflects light so that it appears blue; and that sunlight collides with colloidal particles in the water and scatters, with short-wavelength blue light being scattered most easily. Perhaps the fact that there is no single settled answer only adds to the pond's air of mystery.

The Colour of the Water Shifting Through the Seasons

The colour of the Blue Pond is not the same all year round. According to the Biei Town Tourism Association, in spring, when a great deal of snowmelt flows in, it takes on a slightly green-blue tinge, and in early summer there are many days when it looks light blue. In autumn the surface is coloured by the changing leaves, and in winter the pond freezes and everything turns into a world of white. Its expression also changes moment by moment with the weather, the angle of the light and whether or not there is wind, so you never meet exactly the same scene twice. That there is always something new to discover, however many times you visit, is the particular appeal of this pond.

Shirahige Falls, Worth Visiting Together

Somewhere to stop off along with the Blue Pond is "Shirahige Falls" at Shirogane Onsen. According to the Biei Town Tourism Association it has a drop of about 30 metres, and groundwater seeping out from between natural rocks pours vigorously down into the stream. The Biei River into which that water flows glitters cobalt blue, and this is also the place where you can really grasp where the water of the Blue Pond comes from. In contrast to the stillness of the Blue Pond, here power and transparency exist side by side.

Photography Tips and Manners to Observe

The pond looks bluest on a clear day when there is no wind and the surface has settled like a mirror. Looking for a position with the sun behind you, so the light is frontal, brings out a deeper blue. If you want the dead trees to be the main subject, framing them with something of a telephoto lens from a position where the gaps between the trunks appear compressed produces a dreamlike density. For the winter illumination a tripod widens your options, but the walkway is limited in width, so remember to be considerate and not block the way. Note that the Biei Town Tourism Association strongly urges visitors: "Never climb over the fence and enter the pond. It is a matter of life and death." Flying and filming with drones requires an application for permission and approval. The fields on the hills are all privately owned farmland too, so do not enter them, and avoid parking on farm roads.

Best Season and Access

The colours of Biei's hills are at their most beautiful in early summer (June to July), from fresh greenery to the flowering season. The Blue Pond shines bluest during the daytime on a clear day, and the seasons of autumn leaves and snowscape each have their own charm. For access, JR Furano Line "Biei Station" is the base; the Blue Pond is about 20 minutes from Biei Station by car and about 20 minutes by Dohoku Bus. To tour the hills, a rental car, rental bicycle or sightseeing bus is convenient. Parking at the Blue Pond is charged, and from 1 July 2026 the rates were revised to 1,000 yen for an ordinary car, 300 yen for a motorcycle and 6,000 yen for a large vehicle. Touring it together with the neighbouring lavender fields of Furano is the standard course. Amid this vast nature, take your time to enjoy these painting-like views to the full.

Practical Information

• Best viewing period / best season: The colours of the hills centre on early summer (June to July), from fresh greenery to the flowering season. The Blue Pond looks bluest during the daytime on a clear day. In winter the pond freezes and is covered with snow, so the water surface cannot be seen.
• Event period / illumination: The "Shirogane Blue Pond Illumination" runs from around late October to late April of the following year. For fiscal 2025 it ran from 24 October 2025 to 22 April 2026, from sunset until 9 p.m. (the start of the lighting differs by month — 5 p.m. in October, 4:30 p.m. in December, and so on).
• Fees: There is no admission charge for viewing the Blue Pond itself (parking is charged).
• Access: About 20 minutes by car from Biei Station on the JR Furano Line, or about 20 minutes by Dohoku Bus. The same-day unlimited-ride "Biei-Shirogane Area One-Day Free Pass" is convenient.
• Parking: Charged. From 1 July 2026: motorcycles 300 yen; ordinary cars (under 6 m in length, including compact and kei cars) 1,000 yen; large vehicles (buses and the like of 6 m or more) 6,000 yen. Please use the advance payment machines. Vehicles of 6 m or more and vehicles under 6 m use separate entrances. Opening hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May to 22 October, and 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from 23 October to April. Residents of Biei Town and businesses within the town are exempt.
• Clothing and equipment: The walkway from the car park to the pond is unpaved, and puddles form during the thaw. In winter the paths are snowy and icy, so non-slip winter boots and warm clothing are essential. If you are driving, fit winter tyres and take care not to drive too fast on icy roads.

*Do not enter areas other than those designated, as they are extremely dangerous. In particular, never enter the pond itself.*

Tips

Explore the hills by bicycle or car. The Blue Pond shows its most vivid color on sunny days.

*(Sources: Biei Town, Hokkaido, "On the Use of the Blue Pond Car Park"; Biei Town Tourism Association (general incorporated association), "Shirogane Blue Pond")*