Aoi Ike and the blue waters of Biei
Published on 09/10/2026 at 20:22 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Aoi Ike in Biei is a man-made pond with pale trunks standing in blue water. It lies in Hokkaido, in the Shirogane area beside the Biei River, and the name means “blue pond”.
A late twentieth-century pond in Shirogane
The pond formed after works on the Biei River in the wake of the 1988 eruption of Mount Tokachi, and it sits within an erosion-control landscape linked to that event. The pond and its setting belong to the Shirogane area of Biei, in Hokkaido’s Kamikawa District, a part of Japan shaped by river works and mountain slopes.Blue Pond (Biei)
The water has a distinctive blue tone that is associated with minerals in the pond, while dead birch trunks stand above the surface as vertical lines. The result is a composed landscape rather than a natural lake, with concrete elements from the river works visible around the basin.blue pond
Water, trunks and concrete edges
The visual character of Aoi Ike comes from the contrast between blue water, pale trunks and hard-edged engineering. The pond is small enough to read at a glance, yet its surface, trees and artificial edges create a layered scene that changes with light and season.
Shirogane Onsen lies nearby, and the pond sits close to prefectural road 966, which runs through this part of Biei. Buses connect Biei Station with the Shirogane area, placing Aoi Ike within a short excursion from the town centre.prefectural road 966
A place between landscape and infrastructure
Aoi Ike is not a conventional ornamental garden, and it is not a mountain lake either. Its identity comes from the overlap of flood-control works, still water and the line of trees left standing in the basin.
The pond has become one of the most recognisable sights in Biei because it keeps both sides of that story visible. The human structure and the landscape do not merge; they remain legible together, which gives the place its visual force.human-made pond
Visiting Aoi Ike: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Aoi Ike is in the Shirogane area of Biei, in Hokkaido. Buses run from Biei Station, and the pond lies along prefectural road 966.
- The walk from the road to the pond passes through a forest approach. The setting includes concrete parts of the erosion-control works as well as the water itself.
- Shirogane Onsen is nearby, and the pond belongs to the same river valley landscape. The area sits under the slopes of Mount Tokachi.
- The official language is Japanese and the currency is the yen.
Searching for Aoi Ike on social platforms
These links open searches for Aoi Ike on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Aoi Ike
Where is Aoi Ike?
Aoi Ike is in Shirogane, in Biei, Hokkaido, Japan. It sits beside the Biei River in a landscape linked to Mount Tokachi.
What does a visit involve?
The pond is reached from the road through a forest path, and the setting includes water, trees and concrete structures. It is a compact place rather than a large park.
What makes Aoi Ike distinctive?
The pond combines blue water, dead trunks and engineered river works in one view. That mix gives the place its identity in Biei.
