Travelling in Biei Hokkaido

• published: 30 Jan 2015
• views: 1

The town of Biei is located almost at the center of Hokkaido, in the hilly district at the foot of the Tokachidake Mountain Range (Daisetsuzan National Park). It was only in the 1970s that the town became regarded as one of the best sightseeing spots in Hokkaido. Shinzo Maeda, a leading Japanese landscape photographer with a worldwide reputation, once visited Biei and was very moved by its beautiful scenery, as well as by the wonderful views of hills in the neighboring town of Kamifurano. Since then, he visited Biei repeatedly over 10 years to take photographs, which were used for photo collections, post cards, posters, films, TV commercials, etc., making the views of town well known throughout Japan. On a hill in Biei, in a former elementary school building, the Takushinkan photo gallery is open to the public and exhibits Maeda's excellent works, which greatly impress visitors. The attractiveness of Biei, where as many as 1.2 million people visit every year, is represented by its spectacular views of flowers found in areas named "Road of Patchwork," "Shikisai-no-oka" and "Hills of Zerubu," as well as by the views from the hills overlooking the horizon. You will be astonished by the magnificent views of colorful flowers such as lavenders, sunflowers, poppies, cosmoses, and purple salvias, blooming just like beautiful patchworks. You can walk through these flowers at some locations. One of the best viewpoints is where you can see poplars and oaks standing imposingly on a vast green field. By taking a sightseeing taxi, or by renting a bicycle, you can go to see around these special trees used in TV commercials and posters, such as "Tree of Ken and Mary," "Tree of Seven Stars," and "Tree of Parents and Child." If you like outdoor activities, you will love all nature has to offer in Biei. In summer, you can stroll in wild woods, climb trees, walk along the river, go canoeing or camping, or play golf. In winter, the town is transformed by snow, whose magnificent appearance will astonish you as you ride on a snow buggy or snowmobile. Biei (美瑛) is a small town surrounded by a picturesque landscape of gently rolling hills and vast fields. A pleasant way to enjoy the charm of Biei is by cycling or driving through the hills and visiting some of the flower fields and famous trees along the way. The area northwest of the town center is named "Patchwork Road" and the area south of the town center "Panorama Road". Named after the appearance of its fields seen from above, the Patchwork Road (パッチワークの路, Patchwork no Michi) is the scenic area northwest of Biei's town center. Note that it refers to an area rather than a single road. It offers beautiful rural landscapes around the year, especially during the green and colorful summer and autumn months and during winter when everything is covered under a deep layer of snow. Over the years, the area's beauty has attracted the attention of marketing professionals, and some trees were used in commercials or for package label designs. Among these famous trees are a row of larch trees on the Mild Seven Hill (from a cigarette commercial), a poplar named Ken and Mary Tree (from a car commercial) and the Seven Star Tree (which appeared on cigarette packages). A group of oak trees is known as the Parents and Child Tree. Other sites of interest in the Patchwork Road area are the Hokusei Hill Observatory, a pyramid structure that offers nice views over the fields of Biei and the Zerebu Hill, a flower park which can be explored not only on foot but also by various types of carts. Like the Patchwork Road, the Panorama Road (パノラマロード) is an area rather than a single road. It offers much of the same rural and scenic beauty as the Patchwork Road and is ideal for exploration by car or bicycle, although some people will prefer electrically powered bicycles due to the hilly terrain. Among the area's highlights is Shikisai Hill, a spacious flower park with various flower fields (including lavender), which can be viewed by walking along the trails, by renting golf or buggy carts or by taking a ride on tractor pulled wagons. In winter, snow mobiles are available. Another, smaller flower park is Kanno Farm, located along the national route which connects Biei with Furano. Also worth a visit is the Takushinkan, an exhibition hall with beautiful landscape photography by renowned photographer Maeda Shinzo and his eldest son Akira. The exhibition displays landscape photographs from across Japan with an emphasis on photos from the local Biei region.