Located in the hilly area at the foot of the Tokachidake mountain range in Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, Biei Town attracts many people with its beautiful scenery of rolling, hilly fields.

In this breathtaking patchwork landscape, you can enjoy a vast flower field of about 150,000 square meters. A particularly beautiful spot is the Shikisai-no-Oka flower fields, when, from late April to late October, about 30 kinds of flowers are in full bloom.

When using public transportation, take the JR Hakodate Main Line Limited Express to Asahikawa Station (about one and a half hours), then transfer to the JR Furano Line (about 45 minutes). It is a 25-minute walk from Mibaushi Station. If you want to take a taxi, it is recommended to get off at Biei Station and take a taxi (around 12 minutes ride time, the price is 3,250 yen).

By car, take the Doo Expressway (toll) and get off at Takigawa IC. Take the Ashibetsu National Route, Route 70, Furano National Route, and Route 824; it takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes. There are around 300 parking spots, and parking is charged during the high season from July to September (500 yen per car).

Summer is when there are the most flowers; however, there are flowers in the other seasons as well, so this is always an excellent place to visit.

Starting around May, colorful tulips bloom and the fields are decorated in vivid colors. In June you can see the fields filled with poppies and lupines.

The striped flower fields begin to become vivid in late June. Lavender peaks in July and sunflowers and dahlias compete in August in a gorgeous patchwork scene.

Starting in late August, autumn flowers such as cosmos, autumn-blooming pansies, and Japanese anemone will begin to bloom. While the varieties in bloom decrease in October, you can still enjoy salvia, snapdragons, kochia, and more.

Be sure to walk in the flower-filled fields. From the parking lot, go through the building with shops and restaurants to the flower fields. There is no admission fee.

When I entered the gorgeous Hokkaido flower fields, Roll-chan, a figure made of hay bales, welcomed me. Follow her to the main passage.

Lavender and purple salvia were in full bloom on this day.

When you turn left at the point where the main path meets the flower fields, there is a slight step between the road and fields; from here you can see the flower stripes neatly.

Beyond the rows of flowers in front of you, is a perfect opportunity to snap photos of the gorgeous rolling patchwork hills. Look east from the southwest side of the flower fields on the right side of the main path, for an especially gorgeous view.

If you look back toward the entrance from the innermost part of the flower fields, you will find a floral landscape that seems to continue well past the horizon. It's a bit of a walk to this particular point, but well worth it.

While the fields are free to access, given how vast they are, expect to get in a fair amount of walking. If that isn't quite for you, you're in luck: there are a few vehicles that loop around the fields. A tractor bus runs from along the interior every 15 minutes or so, and stops along some of the great photo spots. (It costs 500 yen for high school students and older; 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students; free for elementary school students and younger.)

If you want to get around at your own pace, rent a 4-seater cart. With this, you can easily reach some of the best photo spots and explore around. You just need to show your international license to rent one. Price: 2,000 yen for 15 minutes; 500 yen for every 5 minutes thereafter.

As a thrilling activity, you can enjoy a buggy running through the birch forest. There is a 1km buggy course, and you can drive at your own pace. There are one-seater and two-seater buggies. You can drive with a child, but you must be 16 or older to be the driver.
(Price: 500 yen for 1 person; 800 yen for 2 persons)

Another famous activity at Shikisai-no-oka is the Alpaca Ranch. You can interact with cute alpacas during any season, and you can even feed them (100 yen each time). You can also purchase knit products made from alpaca wool on the farm at Shikisai-no-oka shops. Please note that business hours are 30 minutes shorter than the flower fields.

(Fee: 500 yen for high school students and older; 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students; free for elementary school students and younger)

If you feel hungry during your walk, enjoy the takeout menu at the two shops! We recommend the "Oka-no-potato croquette" (150 yen each) made with locally grown potatoes. Two flavors are available; be sure to give them both a try!

Also be sure to check out the soft-serve ice cream made from milk from Biei (350 yen). Flavors include lavender (pictured) and melon.

If you want to have a good meal, go to the restaurant Phlox Hall. The soup curry (1,200 yen), which uses plenty of seasonal, primarily home-grown vegetables, is popular.

In the souvenir corner of the shop, in addition to beautiful pictures of the garden, lavender goods, alpaca goods, and cosmetics, are popular items.

There is also a direct sale place for agricultural products, and you can buy melons from Biei from July to August. In some cases, home-grown fresh vegetables are lined up for purchase.

Even in the winter season, Shikisai-no-Oka has a lot of fun. From December to the end of March, when the fields are covered with snow, the Snowland is open for winter activities. You can enjoy the snow and nature with snowmobiles, snow rafting, and sledding.
・Snowmobile course, 1,200 yen per person per lap
・Snowmobile touring, 5km per person 7,700 yen
・Snow rafting, 800 yen per person
・Sledding, 200 yen

Shikisai-no-Oka has a bed and breakfast called "Pension With You" where you can stay overnight. In addition to the twin Western-style rooms, there are Japanese-style rooms that can accommodate up to 3-4 people, and bunk-bed rooms that are convenient for traveling alone. For meals, you can enjoy dishes using fresh vegetables from Shikisai-no-oka Farm.

TEL: 0166-95-2748
Price: Western-style room with breakfast/dinner 1 adult off-season, 8,580 yen; peak season, 9,130 yen

Text by: Minna no Kotobasha
*The information in this article is as of August 2020.