Furano-Biei

Hokkaido, Japan · Countryside / satoyama, Snow

Biei's hills are not a park: they are working private farmland, and the patchwork-hill circuit in the northwest — the Ken and Mary tree, Zerubu no Oka, the Hokusei lookout — is driven without ever leaving the asphalt. The lavender at Farm Tomita, which is actually in Nakafurano, peaks in mid-July; the rest of the year there is the Aoiike blue pond, lit from late October, and two ski areas that hold on into spring.

The essentials

Getting there

Train — Train from Sapporo, though a car makes it easier to get between the fields

Frequently asked questions about Furano-Biei

What to do in Furano-Biei: 27 activities

• Farm Tomita Lavender Fields 2 h must-see

  Fields of lavender in bloom, the most iconic image of Hokkaido in summer. A geographical clarification: Farm Tomita is in Nakafurano, not in the city of Furano. Admission is free and peak bloom is in mid-July; arriving before eight in the morning avoids the bulk of the coach parties.

• The Patchwork Road hills by car 2.5 h must-see

  A circuit through north-west Biei linking the Ken and Mary tree, Zerubu no Oka, the Seven Star tree and the Hokusei viewpoint. Essential rule: drive only on asphalt and park in the marked car parks, because the gravel tracks are private farmland.

• Blue Pond (Aoiike) of Biei 1 h must-see

  A pond of blue water formed by a volcanic erosion-control structure, famous for once being an Apple wallpaper image and for its winter night illumination.

• Biei's Patchwork Hills 2 h

  A landscape of cultivated hills in colourful patches, known as the 'patchwork road'. IMPORTANT WARNING: the Biei hills are private working fields, not a park. You must never set foot on farmland, not even in winter, because footwear carries pathogens into the soil and ruins crops; the gravel tracks are private property and entering them is illegal, and drones are in principle banned throughout the municipal area. In January 2025 the town went as far as felling the row of birches beside the Seven Star tree to discourage the crowds, and a year later the coaches are still arriving. Mild Seven Hill no longer exists as a landscape: its larches were cut down.

• Blue Pond illuminated in winter 1 h

  From late October to late April the pond is lit from nightfall until nine, with a different start time each month. The Shirahige waterfall is lit all year. In midwinter the ice hides the blue colour, and parking costs 1,000 yen per car.

• Cycling through the hills 3.5 h booking

  Electric bike rental next to Biei and Nakafurano stations. It is the right way to tour the hills without adding more cars to narrow roads that are already saturated.

• From the Northern Country filming locations 3.5 h

  The Fuji TV series filmed in Furano between 1981 and 2002 is what put this place on Japan's tourist map. You can visit Goro's Stone House, open only from late April to late November, the House Made of Collected Things, and the Rokugo forest.

• Furano omu-curry 1 h

  A dish codified by the local council with six compulsory rules: Furano rice, a local egg with a small flag stuck in the centre, Furano cheese or wine, local vegetables and meat, one side dish plus a glass of Furano milk, and a maximum price of 1,300 yen before tax. Barely a dozen accredited restaurants serve it.

• Heso Matsuri, the belly button festival 3.5 h only 28-29 Jul

  On 28 and 29 July in Furano city. It comes from Furano being the geographic centre of Hokkaido: participants paint a huge face on their abdomen, cover themselves with a straw hat and dance down the main street. Visitors are allowed to join on the spot.

• Panorama Road and the Takushinkan gallery 2.5 h

  Biei's southeastern route culminates at the Takushinkan, the gallery of photographer Shinzo Maeda, opened in 1987 in a former primary school and free to enter. Maeda is literally the man who made this landscape famous.

• Skiing in Furano 8 h booking

  Two areas with different calendars: the Furano zone opens in late November and runs through to early May in spring, and Kitanomine opens in late December. There is night skiing from mid-December to late March.

• Wild Fukiage rotenburo 1 h

  Free, open twenty-four hours, mixed and with no changing room: two open-air pools on the slope of Tokachidake, in Kamifurano. Soap, fire and camping are prohibited. Ten minutes away on foot there is a lodge with a day bath and changing rooms for anyone not comfortable with mixed bathing. Access from the Biei side is closed by snow from late October to early May.

• Climbing Tokachidake 7 h

  An active volcano of 2,077 metres, climbed from the Kamifurano lodge between July and September. Always check the volcanic alert level before setting out, and there are long stretches of volcanic terrain with no shelter.

• Furano craft workshops 1.75 h booking

  Glassblowing, woodcarving, ceramics and dyeing, many of them concentrated at Ningle Terrace and along the Kitanomine strip.

• Furano Marche 1 h

  The municipal market in central Furano, with produce from local farmers and food to take away. It is the useful shopping stop for anyone without a car.

• Furano melon 0.75 h

  The town's flagship product, bought and eaten at the roadside direct-sales stands and in the municipal market, in July and August.

• Hot-air balloon flight 1 h booking

  A tethered balloon over the fields with the Tokachi range behind, at sunrise or sunset, roughly from June to October. It is very sensitive to wind and is frequently cancelled.

• Rafting and canoeing on the Sorachi river 2.5 h booking

  Whitewater with the May snowmelt and family descents in summer, with departures open to ages five and up, and calm canoeing at dawn.

• Shikisai-no-Oka Hill 1.5 h

  A hillside planted with stripes of colourful flowers, another visual icon of the area.

• Workshops at the Furano cheese factory 1.75 h booking

  Besides the tasting and the ice cream, the annexe building has hands-on workshops for cheese, butter, bread and ice cream, with prior reservation.

• Zerubu no Oka 1 h

  A private flower garden in Biei with free access to the grounds and paid buggies to ride around it. It is the legal, responsible alternative to walking into other people's fields.

• A night out in Furano 2.5 h

  Two poles: central Furano, with izakaya run by the local trade, and Kitanomine, with ski resort bars open mainly from December to March. It is a small scene: do not expect city nightlife.

• Furano Cheese and Ice Cream Factory 1 h

  Handmade dairy products from Furano's farming region, with tastings.

• Furano Drama Kan 0.75 h

  A shop-museum themed on Kuramoto's television dramas, on the hotel grounds next to Ningle Terrace and the forest cafe.

• Furano Winery 1.5 h

  A municipal winery producing wine from grapes grown on the hills of Furano, with facility tours and free tastings.

• Ningle Terrace 1.5 h

  A wooden walkway through the forest of the Shin-Furano Prince Hotel lined with fifteen artisan cabins working in glass, wood, and leather, lit up at night.

• Shirogane Onsen 2 h

  A small hot spring village on the slopes of Mount Tokachidake, with milky-white waters and access to the nearby Shirahige Falls.

What only happens on specific dates

• Heso Matsuri, the belly button festival 28-29 Jul

Chains well with

More destinations in Hokkaido