Shirogane Blue Pond (Aoiike)
A distinctive short scenery stop with blue water and standing dead larches. Currently listed as operating year-round. [S2]
Photos
2022-06-21 · MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Shirogane-Blue-Pond summer.jpg · Local photo
2018-06-09 · OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Blue Pond (Aoiike) at Biei, Hokkaido, Japan.jpg · Local photo
_at_Biei,_Hokkaido,_Japan.jpg){kind=link}
Location map
Shirogane Blue Pond vicinity — official attraction map centre
Use the map links below if the interactive map is unavailable.
43.34193, 142.391785Shirogane Blue Pond vicinity — official attraction map centre
43.493419779024634, 142.61182485094594
Where to eat
Shirogane approach road, Biei · Restaurant
Between The Bread at Shirogane Birke
The strongest casual afternoon beer-and-food option near the Blue Pond: burgers using Biei ingredients, indoor seats and a wooded terrace.
Order: A BTB burger with Biei-pork bacon, fries and the listed Biei wheat beer; Biei Farm milk or soft serve makes the local non-alcohol alternative.
Beer is listed on the counter-service menu, with 30 indoor and 40 terrace seats and usual daytime opening to 17:00; draft versus bottle format is unspecified.
Hours: Tourism listing: 09:00–17:00, seasonally variable; no regular summer closing day, Wednesday/Thursday closed in winter.
Booking: A casual counter-service/eat-in stop rather than a reserved tasting or course meal; no advance-booking requirement is published.
Nearby · About 5–10 min drive to Shirogane Birke
The best nearby casual afternoon choice: local-ingredient burgers, beer and indoor or wooded-terrace seating.
Shirogane Onsen village, Biei · Restaurant
Hotel Park Hills — day-visitor lunch
A genuinely walkable lunch from Shirahige Falls, with Biei pork and venison and an optional meal-and-bath package.
Order: Biei-pork cutlet or local Ezo-venison ginger set; the meal-and-bath plan also lists Biei-venison meat-sauce spaghetti.
Day visitors can sit for lunch until 14:00, last order 13:40; afternoon restaurant alcohol service was not established.
Hours: Lunch 11:30–14:00, last order 13:40. Day bathing 11:00–21:00 is a separate service, not extended restaurant opening.
Booking: The operator expressly welcomes day-visitor meals and bathing; no individual lunch booking requirement is published. Private-use closures can affect the bath rest room.
Nearby · About 5–10 min drive onward to Shirogane Onsen
Use this for an early local-pork or venison lunch before pairing the pond with Shirahige Falls; bathing is optional.
Omachi, Biei town · Restaurant
Restaurant Asperges at Biei Senka
A destination French lunch built around Biei's vegetables, pork and dairy, rather than a casual all-day café.
Order: The seasonal course featuring the 20-vegetable arrangement and wintered-potato purée; choose a Biei-pork main when available.
Seated course lunch is verified, but current glass-wine or beer service was not; lunch closing is 15:00, not an all-afternoon bar.
Hours: Operator: lunch 11:00–15:00; dinner 17:00–21:00; Wednesday and occasional additional closures. Tourism lists the shorter lunch window 11:00–14:00.
Booking: Plan a reserved course lunch; the operator accepts reservations by telephone only, not online. Arrange the arrival time rather than treating 14:00 as a safe walk-in.
Back in town · Back in Biei town, about 25–35 min drive
A planned lunch destination on a return via Biei town, not a nearby pond café; leave time to reach the reserved sitting.
Why go
The pond formed during Tokachidake disaster-prevention works. Mineral-related particles scatter sunlight, producing changing blue tones around the dead trees. Best for photography and a short waterside visit rather than a substantial hike; color is not guaranteed. [S2]
Time to allow
Allow 30-45 minutes parked-to-departure, or about an hour for photography, excluding queues. JNTO describes roughly two minutes from parking to the pond, not a complete circuit. Exact current walking distance and accessible-route length were not verified. [S5]
Drive from Furano Station
50-65 min
Route options & directionsWhen to arrive
Timing and Weather Recommendations
Late June
An attractive early-summer choice: tourism guidance describes frequent light-blue water and contrasting fresh greenery, but not a guaranteed color peak. [S2]
July
Suitable for the same outdoor scenery visit. Prioritize weather and morning arrival over a particular date; sunny afternoons and weekends can be congested. [S2][S3]
Early August
Still within published summer parking hours. There is no verified month-specific color advantage over July; retain flexibility after heavy rain. [S1][S2]
Recommendation: a calm, clear weekday morning anywhere in the stay, preferably without recent heavy rainfall. [S2]
Weather alternatives
Heavy rain can dilute the relevant components and leave the pond cloudy or not visibly blue. Overcast or windy conditions may still interest photographers, but are not equivalent to the recommended calm, sunny morning. During a long Furano stay, postpone after heavy rain rather than forcing the visit. No reliable recovery interval was found. [S2]
A practical visit sequence
- Before leaving Furano, check weather, recent rainfall, access notices and the official congestion map. [S6]
- Follow the signed regular-car approach, collect a parking ticket and park without blocking traffic. [S1][S4]
- Walk to the pond and compare several permitted viewpoints; allow others space rather than occupying the first opening.
- Return within parking hours and use the advance payment machine before driving to the exit. [S1]
Opening hours & practicalities
- Hours and season
- Current municipal parking hours are 07:00-19:00 from May through October 22; the schedule's year is not specified. Do not assume unrestricted overnight access. [S1]
- Costs
- Effective July 1, 2026: ordinary, small and kei cars under 6 m cost JPY 1,000 per vehicle per visit; motorcycles JPY 300; vehicles 6 m or longer JPY 6,000. No separate admission charge was identified. [S1]
- Parking and access
- Tourism lists 220 ordinary-car spaces and 20 large-vehicle spaces. Entrances differ by vehicle length. The 2024 access notice directs ordinary cars approaching from Biei along Route 966 to turn near Kaikuu Kiln, use the Bibogahara-Biruke town road and enter the lot by a left turn; direct right-turn entry is restricted. Follow newer signs and municipal diagrams. [S1][S2][S4]
- Facilities and accessibility
- Year-round toilets and an accessible toilet are listed. Tourism links a dedicated accessibility map, but its route details were not readable during research. A short approach does not establish that every viewpoint is step-free: current surfaces, gradients, widths and walking distances need confirmation. Food-service hours were not verified. [S2]
Make the most of the visit
- Use the opening-hour visit to reduce queue exposure; do not arrive expecting entry before 07:00. [S1]
- Check the official congestion indicator before departing; it reports crowd categories, not a promised waiting time. [S6]
- Choose calm conditions for reflections, following tourism's sunny-morning recommendation. [S2]
- Keep a second possible visit day rather than demanding postcard-blue water after rain. [S2]
- Bring walking shoes, water and rain protection; confirm the accessible approach beforehand if steps or uneven surfaces would be limiting.
When to skip
Skip or defer if you require reliably brilliant-blue water, dislike potentially crowded photo stops, or need a fully verified barrier-free route. Do not plan this as a long hike.
Safety & considerate travel
- Never cross the fence or enter the pond; official guidance explicitly warns this can be life-threatening. No swimming or wading. [S2]
- Do not fly a recreational drone without the required permissions and approvals; the attraction specifically warns that authorization is necessary. [S2]
- Stay within permitted viewing areas, take litter away and keep photography equipment clear of other visitors. Follow parking circulation instructions rather than making an unauthorized turn. [S2][S4]
Possible pairings
- Shirahige Falls
Before you go
- Municipal parking fees, summer opening hours and entrance diagrams.
- Any temporary road, parking or footpath restrictions, plus recent rainfall and water appearance.
- Accessible-route surfaces, distances and toilet availability if relevant.
- Payment methods and congestion-map availability.
Additional notes
- Important correction: JPY 500 car parking is outdated. The municipality and current attraction listing publish JPY 1,000 from July 1, 2026. [S1][S2]
- The English theme page retains older fee information; it was used only for its congestion guidance. [S3]
- Exact current path length and comprehensive accessibility were not established.
Public sources
- S1 — Using the Blue Pond parking lot
https://www.town.biei.hokkaido.jp/culture/event/news/bluepondpaidparking.html - S2 — Shirogane Blue Pond attraction listing
https://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/facility/shirogane-blue-pond - S3 — Biei Shirogane Blue Pond
https://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/en/shirogane-blue-pond - S4 — Important Blue Pond parking access notice, August 2, 2024
https://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/18604 - S5 — Shirogane Blue Pond
https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1889/ - S6 — Biei sightseeing congestion visualization system
https://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/ja/15386