| Cost per night | ¥ 5,400 Cabin (5 beds) ¥400 Tent per adult ¥200 Tent per child |
| Open | July 1st - August 31st |
| Check in times for lodges & cabins | Check in at 13:00 Check out at 10:00 |
| Contact | 0166-94-3415 |
| Notes | Summer campsite, 10 cabins, BBQ areas available, large campground, toilet facilities on site |
| Location / Getting There | 29 minute drive from Biei station, in Biei district in the mountains. Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Biei Shizennomura Camping Ground which translates to “Biei Nature Village Camping Ground” is a large camping ground which literally has ‘cabins in the woods’. If you are looking for a peace and quiet with some privacy, this place could be the spot for you! The camp ground has ten red wooden cabins, called ‘Kevin Cabins’. These cabins have two floors and have sleeping beds and bunks for up to five people. These cabins are near large covered BBQ areas that have seating and plenty of room to cook up a feast. These cabins are perfect for groups, families or for couples.
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If you are looking to camp, and set up a tent or caravan there is more than enough room. There are about eight different fields from which to choose. Each camping area has a toilet facility. The front office is run by friendly staff who are happy to help you with any needs you have. When staying at the Biei Shizennomura Camping Ground, you will receive discount tickets for a local onsen up the road. The grounds are very secluded and there are many insects buzzing around, but the night view of the stars are spectacular. In the surrounding areas there is the Blue Pond, and a large 400-hectare “Shirokane Model Farm” where you can get a panoramic view of the mountains of Wild Bird Forest, Mt. Tokachi, and Mt. Biei.
| Admission | Free (¥200 donation is preferred) |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Winter |
| Contact | 0166-95-2758 https://www.shikisainooka.jp// |
| Notes | Flower viewing, small shop, photography spot, parking, alpaca farm inside, buggy rentals available |
| Location / Getting There | It's a 12 minute drive from Biei station or a 30 minute drive from Furano train station 〒071-0473 Hokkaido, Kamikawa District, Biei, Shinsei, 第３ |
Beautiful
Shikisai no Oka (known as Shikisai Hill in English) is famous for its sweeping vistas and beautiful flower arrangements covering the hills on this huge expanse of land. Shikisai is open all year and is a great place to visit not only in the summer months but also during the winter. The flowers here are spectacular and a great place to get some photos. Throughout the year, there are different kinds of flowers that are in full bloom. In June, the poppies are out. In July (which is a great time to go), you can see nadeshiko, salvia, marigold, and stunning fields of sunflowers. September is best time for salvia and dahlia.
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Flowers in July
To get round the fifteen hectares of these panoramic gardens, there are walking paths, but there are other options. You can take the popular tractor bus ride around the fields at a cost of ¥300 for children and ¥500 for adults. Alternatively, you can drive yourself around with a buggy ¥500 per person, or a four person cart hire which costs ¥2000 per fifteen minutes. Shikisai no Oka is also open during the winter from early December to early April. Here you can go on a fun snowmobile ride or tour, plus you can rent out sleds, or tubes and enjoy the slopes! Finally, Shikisai no Oka is also home to an alpaca farm. For ¥500 you can go in and feed and meet the dozen alpacas that make their home here.
| Snowmobile rides | ¥1000 for 1km ride ¥5100 for 30 minute course |
| Snowmobile tour 5km (30 minutes) | ¥7200 |
| Snowmobile tour 10km (1 hour) | ¥18,000 one person ¥14,400 two people ¥12,000 three people |
| Snowmobile tour 20km (2 hours) | ¥30,000 one person ¥24,000 two people ¥21,600 three people |
| Snowmobile tour 30 - 40km (2.5 hours) | ¥42,000 one person ¥38,400 two people ¥33,600 three people |
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0166-94-3355 |
| Notes | Wifi available Parking - 165 vehicles Coffee shop & restaurant Restrooms (wheelchair access) Park golf Shopping area |
| Location / Getting There | It takes about 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. A 2 and a half hour drive from Sapporo. Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Huge park area next to facilities
Whilst on the road and taking in the sightseeing spots in Biei, the Biei Shirokanebiruke Roadside Station is a nice spot to have a rest, do some shopping, grab a bite to eat, or to enjoy the park and its facilities. The rest area is just down the road from the Blue Pond, and also the Kaiku Kiln Museum, which are some good spots to visit while in Biei. There are about half a dozen new buildings at the site, which is surrounded by a large park that incorporates a park golf course.
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Souvenir shop
Besides the park golf course, you can find restrooms here for some relief. For those looking for a quick bite to eat, there is a nice little hamburger shop called Between the Bread. Here you can eat inside their restaurant, or have lunch in the park. The park is full of sculptures and there is a table tennis table plus some instruments(interestingly), and seating. The other buildings include a souvenir shop that has information about Biei and the surrounding areas, plus an ice-cream shop, and a North Face outdoor equipment store.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0166 -73 -5725 Inquiry 050-5595-7454 Reservation |
| Notes | 30 seats indoor 40 seats outside terrace English menu Wifi on site Non smoking Take-out available No credit cards Parking available |
| Location / Getting There | It takes about 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. A 2 and a half hour drive from Sapporo. Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Natural surroundings
Between the Bread is a nice little hamburger shop, situated in Biei, surrounded by the majestic Taisetsuzan mountains. The restaurant can be found at the roadside station ‘Biei Shirokanebiruke’. This roadside station is two kilometres down the road from the Blue Pond and it is here, after seeing the sights around Biei, you can get a much needed bite to eat. The restaurant has plenty of seating inside, and there is also a large deck overlooking a wooded park area. All burgers are take-out so you enjoy them anywhere!
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The cheeseburger
There are several burgers on the menu. The menu being a large, pictured poster board, in English as well as Japanese, next to the ordering counter. The burgers range from an egg burger, avocado burger, to the whopping double cheeseburger. The burgers on the menu all use ingredients harvested in the town of Biei, creating a delicious tasting burger. The set menu comes with french fries and a drink. The drink menu has the standard range plus a Biei drinking yogurt, and a Biei wheat beer. All burgers have an extras topping option.
Hamburger building
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Tuesdays *Open every day in July & August |
| Contact | 0166-94-3354 http://www.kaikukiln.com/ |
| Notes | Free parking No photos allowed inside Ceramics for sale |
| Location / Getting There | 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. 20 minutes by Dohoku Bus from in front of Biei Station. Shirogane, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido |
One of the many sculptures
Kaiku Kiln Museum is a large, quiet homestead that is home to a gallery, kiln room, workshop, and house. The Kaiku Kiln property is located between the Blue Pond, which is a five minute drive away, and the ‘Biei Shirokanebiruke’ road station. The Blue Pond and road station can get quite crowded during the summer, so the gallery is a nice place to take a pleasant stroll and look at the sculptures, and get away from the crowds. The grounds are covered in various sculptures created from wood, clay, and metal, and there is a small rock path that crosses through the trees.
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One of the buildings
The gallery itself is located on the left of the entrance. The sculptures displayed at the gallery, are by local prominent artists. The gallery also serves as a shop where you can buy some fantastic ceramic dishes and serveware. These works are not cheap but they are high quality. Photos of the works in the gallery are not allowed, though photos outside are permitted. There is free parking available for those with transport. To getting to the gallery is a twenty minute drive from Biei station. There is also the Dohoku bus that stops in front of the station.
| Admission | Free admission |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0166-94-3355 0166-92-1181 : sightseeing taxi service 'Biei Hire' |
| Notes | Parking available Rental car recommended to visit |
| Location / Getting There | It takes about 20 minutes by car from JR Biei Station. A 2 and a half hour drive from Sapporo Shirogane, Biei-cho Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071-0235 |
Beautiful colors
The Blue Pond (known as Aoi-ike in Japanese) is a man-made pond that can be found in the scenic province of Biei. After the eruption of Mount Tokachi in 1988, work was carried out on the Biei river dam to prevent the destructive effect of volcanic mudflow on the town of Biei. The Blue Lake is just one of a number of ponds that were artificially born as a by-product of the dam construction. The amazing blue color of the pond comes from minerals in the water, colloidal aluminium hydroxide. This means absolutely no swimming, but you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the pond.
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Peaceful
The blue hue of the water has subtle changes depending on the weather and the season. In the winter you can get some beautiful photos of the pond in the snow. And on a nice sunny day the blue sky is reflected stunningly in the Blue Pond waters. To get to the pond you can drive, but if you don’t have your own access to transport, then there are tour buses that run during the summer. Alternatively, a rental car is a good choice as there is plenty to see while in Biei and the Furano area. For trains, the JR Furano Line connects Furano with Biei and Asahikawa. Trains run roughly once per hour, and the one way trip between Furano and Biei takes about 40 minutes, costs ￥640 and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and Hokkaido Rail Pass.
Getting there from Sapporo
From Sapporo get on the Hokkaido Expressway at the Sapporo interchange (IC) and get off at Mikasa IC, then go pass Katsurazawa Dam and through Furano (about 150km).
A smooth journey here will take around 2½ hours.
Getting there from Chitose Airport
From the New Chitose Airport, use the Dōtō Expressway and get off at Shimukappu, then head north through the town of Furano.
Getting there from Chitose Airport
From the New Chitose Airport, use the Dōtō Expressway and get off at Shimukappu, then head north through the town of Furano. The distance of this route is around 160km, and will take about 3 hours.
Getting there from Asahikawa
From Asahikawa, drive south towards Furano and go through Biei to reach the Blue Pond. From Asahikawa Station, it takes around 1 hour 10 minutes (about 45km), and from Asahikawa Airport, it takes roughly 40 minutes (about 30km).