One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Biei美瑛町
Patchwork hills, a blue pond and roads made for slow driving
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Patchwork hills, the Blue Pond, and roads that look painted. Biei rewards a rental car and an early alarm clock.
Biei is the rolling farm country between Asahikawa and Furano, where wheat, potatoes and beans are planted in strips across the hills so the slopes look like a quilt. Lone trees named after old television commercials stand along the Patchwork Road, and the Panorama Road to the south looks out to the Tokachidake volcanoes. In the mountains behind town, Shirogane Onsen and the milky Blue Pond draw crowds year-round. Rent a car, get up early and drive slowly; that is the whole method.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~149 km · 2.3 h summer / 2.7 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~144 km · 2.2 h summer / 2.6 h winter
- Best season in Kamikawa
- Choose dates around the flowers, autumn foliage or winter scenery you want to see. Check local conditions and seasonal transport before booking.
Biei at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Biei
The Patchwork Road
パッチワークの路
The hill roads northwest of town where striped fields roll to the horizon and famous single trees stand on ridgelines. Best at dawn and in the golden hours before sunset.
Blue Pond
青い池
A milky blue pond in the woods near Shirogane, formed when a river-control dam flooded a stand of larch. Dead trunks rise from the water; in winter it is lit at night.
Shirogane Onsen and Shirahige Falls
白金温泉と白ひげの滝
A hot-spring village at the foot of Mt. Tokachi where the Shirahige Falls pour out of a cliff face into a blue river. A bridge gives the view without any walking.
Panorama Road and Shin-ei Hill
パノラマロードと新栄の丘
The southern hill roads with wide views over the fields to the Tokachidake range. Public lookouts at Shin-ei Hill and Sanai Hill are free and open all year.
Getting to Biei
Asahikawa Airport is about 20 minutes by car, the closest of any major sight in Hokkaido. Route 237 runs through town, and JR Furano Line trains from Asahikawa stop at Biei and Bibaushi. Shirogane and the Blue Pond are 30 minutes east by car or bus. Sapporo is about 2.5 hours by car.
Kamikawa region: Asahikawa Airport and Asahikawa Station are useful entry points. Plan the onward journey separately: reaching a railway station is not the same as reaching a flower farm, the Blue Pond or a mountain ropeway. Check seasonal bus services and the last return departure.
When to visit Biei
Late June to early August for green fields and flowers, with wheat turning gold in late July. September for harvest patterns and clear views of Tokachidake. Late December to February for snow-covered hills and the lit Blue Pond, though roads are icy.
What to eat in Biei
Wheat, potatoes, beans and asparagus come straight from the hills you drive through, and local milk makes the soft-serve sold at every viewpoint. Biei curry udon, thick noodles in a curry broth with local vegetables, is the town's own dish, and the roadside stations sell bread from local flour.
Biei in context: the Kamikawa region
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Kamikawa is a large inland region of Hokkaido that includes Asahikawa, Furano, Biei and gateways to Daisetsuzan National Park. It is also the name of Kamikawa town, where Sounkyo Onsen is located. This page helps you choose between the region's sightseeing areas; use the town guide below if Sounkyo is your destination.
Towns near Biei
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Sapporo to Furano and Biei: Train, Bus or Car
How to get from Sapporo to Furano and Biei: the Furano-go highway bus (¥2,700, about 2 hours 55 minutes), JR via Asahikawa (limited express from 1 hour 25 minutes, then about 32 minutes to Biei), the summer-only Furano Lavender Express, or about 2 hours 10 minutes by car. Fares, rail passes and winter tips.
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Where to Stay in Asahikawa: Station, Sounkyo or Asahidake?
Compare a city stay with the surrounding mountain bases. Choose between the station, Sounkyo Onsen, Asahidake Onsen and the Biei–Furano valley by what tomorrow holds.
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Hokkaido Rail Pass 2026: Prices, Area Passes and When It Pays Off
JR Hokkaido's passes for overseas visitors: the Hokkaido Rail Pass costs ¥22,000 for 5 days (¥28,000 for 7, ¥37,000 for 10) bought in advance, and 4-day area passes cover Sapporo–Noboribetsu (¥10,000) or Sapporo–Furano (¥11,000). Coverage, rules and how to decide.
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Furano & Biei to Noboribetsu Onsen: Train or Car
How long from Furano or Biei to Noboribetsu Onsen? By car, about 1 hr 48 min on the expressway from Shimukappu IC; by train from Biei, about 3 hr 10 min on board via Asahikawa and Sapporo, plus the last stretch to the onsen town.
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro