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[Blue Pond in Biei] Combination of Standing Dead Trees and Light Blue Creates Marvelous World

November 25th, 2016

CONTENTS

Blue Pond
4 seasons of Blue Pond
Accommodations

Blue Pond

Blue Pond (青い池) is a man-made pond near Shirakaba Road (白樺街道 * Hokkaido Road 966) in Shirogane district, Biei town located in the southeastern part of Asahikawa city, and is surrounded by trees at about 500 m above sea level. The depth of water is from 2.5m to 5m. An unpaved parking lot and unpaved walks are built on the site, too. There are not a food stall and a restroom. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. The walks are rough, so you should wear comfortable shoes. Please drive slowly not to raise a thick cloud of dust on the parking lot. The Shirakaba Road is often a traffic jam on consecutive holidays or weekends. By the way, Shirogane Dam (白金ダム), Shirogane Fudo Falls (白金不動の滝), Road Station "Biei Biruke" (道の駅びえい「白金ビルケ」), Bogakudai (望岳台), Shirahiige Falls (白ひげの滝) and Shirogane Onsen (白金温泉) are relatively near here.

After water containing aluminum flows into Biei River from the Shirahige Falls and ground water in the Shirogane Onsen, and is mixed with hot springs containing sulfur or Iou River (硫黄川) containing the sulfur, colloidal that diffuses the sunlight are created in the river, and the water flows into the pond, so it is said that it looks blue color. Its water is not blue color, and is harmless to human bodies. Mr. Masumi Takahashi (高橋真澄), a professional photographer, took a photo of the pond, and the blue pond became known to the Japan, and Apple company adopted a photo taken by Mr. Taketo Shiraishi (白石健人), a professional photographer, to a wall paper of Mac OS X "Mountain Lion", and the pond became known to the world. The photo of the Blue Pond is breath-holding beauty, too.

Shirahige Falls

Shirahige Falls (白ひげの滝) is a waterfall at about 600 m above sea level in Shirogane Onsen, Biei town located in the southeastern part of Asahikawa city, and was named after splashes of the falls like the white mustache. It is the rare waterfall in Japan that underground water drops from cracks of rocks, and is one of famous falls together with Furepe Falls (乙女の滝) in Shiretoko Peninsula and Funbe Falls (フンベの滝) in Hiroo in Hokkaido. By the way, Yumoto Shirogane Onsen Hotel (湯元白金温泉ホテル) is built on the falls. Admission free. As for a parking lot, visitors can park at Shirogane Tourist Information Center or a community parking lot. A restroom is provided at the Shirogane Tourist Information Center, too. Article is here

Biei Shirogane Area Shirahige Waterfall — Shirahige Falls

Bogakudai

Bogakudai (望岳台) is a lookout in the middle between Shirogane Onsen (白金温泉) and Fukiage Onsen (吹上温泉) linked by Hokkaido Road 996 in Biei town located in the southern part of Asahikawa city. In the Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園), There are a trailhead for Tokachidake Mountain Range, a large parking lot, walks and a shelter in the mountainside at about 930 above sea level. A observation deck is not built. The shelter built in 2016 has a resting place, too, and a restroom is provided for free, too. The walks are built around the Bogakudai, but there are some places closed to the public because a bridge is broken. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. * The road between the Bogakudai and the Shirogane Onsen is closed to traffic from mid October to mid May. Article is here

Biei Mt.Tokachi Obeservatory — Bogakudai

Shirogane Onsen

Shirogane Onsen (白金温泉) is a popular hot-spring resort in Biei town located in the southern part of Asahikawa city. Three-hundred thousand people visit here every year. It is a base for sightseeing in the western part of the Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園), and there are trailheads of Tokachidake Mountain Range including Mt. Tokachidake, Mt. Oputashike, Mt. Bieidake and Mt. Furanodake, near the Shirogane Onsen, so a lot of climbers as well as bathers come, too. There are 5 accommodations in a white birch forest, some trail pathes are built around those, too, and the tourists can enjoy great outdoors of Daisetsuzan. In addition, there are Shirogane Tourist information Center (白金観光センター案内所), Rindo Shokudo (林道食堂), Nagai Souvenir Shop (永井商店), Taisetsu Youth Recreation Hall (大雪青年交流の家) and Shirogane Campsite (国設白金野営場), too. By the way, the Shirogane Onsen is not so large, convenience stores are not built. Article is here

4 seasons of Blue Pond

The Blue Pond is a pool of water of the Biei River (Blue River) in a disaster prevention small dam, and a combination of standing dead trees such as Japanese Larch and blue color of the pond creates a marvelous scenery. It is said that shades of blue color turn into light blue to deep blue depending on the weather or the seasons. I saw only light turquoise blue, but the deep blue is beautiful, too.

The walks of about 300 m in total length is built along the pond, and the time it takes to look around on foot is from 30 to 60 minutes. Please find a favorite place. The standing dead trees have decayed every year, and those as well as Todowara in Notsuke Peninsula rot away eventually, so you should see the pond while the dead trees stand. Daytime is crowded with tourists, and you can enjoy the pond as much as you likes early in the morning. The melt pond can be enjoyed in a spring, fresh green can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and snow view or early snow view like the wall paper of the Mac can be enjoyed in a winter.

In the winter, the blue pond is open to public only during a period that the blue pond is lit up. So you may not be interesting in the just frozen blue pond that is not blue color in the daytime. But the blue pond lit up in the evening becomes popular. By the way, from late November to mid December before freezing up are the best timing if you want to see the beautiful view like the wall paper of the Mac.

Biei Shirogane Area Winter Blue Pond — Winter Blue Pond

Atmosphere of Blue Pond Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Blue Pond

Admission fee	Free of charge
Parking lot	Free parking is provided (100 Cars)
Business hours	Open 24 hours
Regular closing day	Winter season * It changes depending on years
Telephone number	+81-166-92-4378
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	349 569 455*24

Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations around Blue Pond. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Resort House BIBI(リゾートハウス BIBI)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Auberge Ninguruforêt(オーベルジュニングルフォーレ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Oyado Ichirin(お宿一凛)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kunpusha(薫風舎)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Mori-no-Ryotei Biei(森の旅亭びえい)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Taisestuzan Shirogane Kanko Hotel(大雪山白金観光ホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Park Hills(ホテルパークヒルズ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Yumoto Shirogane Onsen Hotel(湯元白金温泉ホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Yamabe-no-Kazoku(山辺の家族)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Biei Guesthouse Shirogane-no-Yu(美瑛ゲストハウス白金の湯)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten