Roadside stationBiei, Hokkaido
Biei Shirogane Birke roadside station
On the way to Shirogane Onsen and the Shirogane Blue Pond, this roadside station sits among a forest of birch trees. The Blue Pond is just a 2-minute drive away. “Birke” means “birch” in German. When you get out of the car, take a deep breath first. The air feels colder here, and even the smell is completely different from in town.
Each season has a story from one of my visits.
SpringLate April
Stretching up to the sky in a birch forest
The farther I drove from Biei toward Shirogane, the fewer houses I passed and the more birches lined both sides of the road. Even at the end of April, snow still lingered along the roadside. I turned the sedan’s heater down a little and opened the window just a crack. Cold, damp air drifted in, carrying the smell of earth and trees.
I parked at the roadside station and stepped out. Leafless birches stretched deep into the forest. Their white trunks overlapped like fine lines, with patches of old snow around their roots. My back had stiffened up from driving, so I stretched as high as I could, arms overhead. Birch branches spread overhead, far beyond my fingertips. The cold air woke me right up.
Since I was already here, I figured I might as well take the 2-minute drive to the Blue Pond. I heard the pond formed when water pooled behind a dam built as part of disaster-prevention work at Tokachidake. In spring, with all the snowmelt pouring in, the water turns blue with a slight green tint. Looking across the pond at the row of dead larches, I could hardly believe a construction project had created a view like this. Now I have a reason to come back and see what color it is in the other seasons.
SummerJuly
Taking a big bite of a burger in the birch shade
I came by motorcycle in July. The birches had filled out with leaves, and the road to Shirogane felt like a completely different forest from the one I’d seen in spring. Every time I rode into the shade, the heat inside my jacket eased; once I came back into the sun, I started to sweat again. I enjoyed that back-and-forth, so I deliberately slowed down.
For lunch, I picked up a burger to go from the burger shop inside. It was made with plenty of ingredients from Biei. When I unwrapped it on a bench beside my bike, it was bigger than I’d expected. I spent a while figuring out where to start. Then I grabbed it in both hands, opened my mouth as wide as I could, and took a huge bite.
Tomato juice was about to drip, so I hurriedly leaned forward. My clothes were fine. Phew. I looked up, relieved, and saw summer light flickering through the birch leaves. Leaves rustled, a motorcycle passed in the distance, and I heard every bite I took. It never occurred to me before the ride that lunch could feel this good.
AutumnLate October
Holding my light-blue soft-serve up to the sky
I was heading back after a day spent reshooting the larches on the hills—I’d even slipped a spare memory card into my pocket. I rode all the way out to Shirogane, and the birches at the roadside station had turned yellow. The wind was already cold, and my fingertips were tingling inside my gloves. Even so, I’d decided I was getting the soft-serve inspired by the Blue Pond today.
The soft-serve they handed me really was light blue. I held it up to the sky in front of the yellow birches. The blue sky, pale-blue ice cream, and yellow leaves made a perfect trio; I couldn’t help looking pleased with myself. I took a photo, then finally had a bite. The cold hit my teeth, and my shoulders jumped.
It’s cold out, so why choose something cold? I ask myself that too. But the moment I spot a local soft-serve flavor, the season and temperature stop mattering. As I crunched the last bit of cone, I looked through the larch photos on my camera screen. This time, they came out just right.
WinterJanuary
Laughing as I breathe into my hands in the snowy woods
In January, even the birches along both sides of the road to Shirogane were covered in snow. I drove the four-wheel-drive sedan slowly uphill. I could feel every little bump in the snowy road through the steering wheel. When there’s no need to hurry, even a snowy road can be fun.
I parked in the cleared lot and stepped outside. The air was cold enough to sting. I breathed into my gloved hands, and my white breath drifted toward the forest. Even the bench was buried in snow; it was hard to imagine people resting here in summer. It felt like I’d wandered into an unfamiliar forest, and I found myself laughing as I breathed clouds into the cold air.
With it this cold, the Blue Pond must be frozen and covered in snow too. What does a pond look like when you can’t see the water’s color? I thought about going to see, but decided to head back to my lodgings before the sun started to set. I’ll save the frozen pond for next winter. Leaving myself one reason to come back isn’t a bad way to keep a trip going.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
About this roadside station
The Shirogane Birke Forest Information Center reopened on 12 May 2018 as Biei Shirogane Birke roadside station. It sits along the Tokachidake Onsen–Biei Line, a Hokkaido prefectural road, about 16 km from JR Biei Station.
Inside, the burger shop BETWEEN THE BREAD serves burgers packed with ingredients from Biei, along with soft-serve ice cream inspired by the Blue Pond. The shop also stocks Blue Pond souvenirs.
The station has showers, sites for campervans, a dog run open from spring through autumn, and bike parking, so you can take a leisurely break whether you arrive by car or motorcycle.
Things to enjoy here
Burger shop
Burgers packed with ingredients from Biei, plus light-blue soft-serve ice cream. There’s seating inside, or you can take your order away.
Shop
The shop stocks souvenirs unique to the area, including Blue Pond merchandise.
Rest facilities
Showers, sites for campervans, a dog run open from spring through autumn, and bike parking.
Location
The station is in Shirogane, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido, along the Tokachidake Onsen–Biei Line, a Hokkaido prefectural road. It’s about 16 km from JR Biei Station and a 2-minute drive from the station to the Shirogane Blue Pond.
Nearby spots
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How about one more stop along the way?
