Aoi Ike in Biei, a blue pond of trees and colour

Aoi Ike near Biei in northern Japan is a small man?made blue pond with pale tree trunks in vivid water, set in Hokkaido’s Shirogane forests.

Aoi Ike near Biei in northern Japan is a small man?made pond where pale tree trunks stand in vividly coloured water beside the Biei River in central Hokkaido. Set in the Shirogane area of Biei Town in Hokkaido’s Kamikawa District, it forms part of an erosion control system developed after the 1988 eruption of Mount Tokachi, and its Japanese name simply means “blue pond”, a reference to the strong tint that visitors see on clear days.

A man?made pond in the forests of Hokkaido

Aoi Ike lies in the forested Shirogane area of Biei, a rural town in Hokkaido’s Kamikawa District, close to the volcanic slopes of Mount Tokachi and the course of the Biei River. It is a man?made pond created as part of works along the Biei River that were carried out after the eruption of Mount Tokachi in 1988, forming one element of a wider erosion control system intended to manage volcanic mudflows and protect the town from debris carried downstream.man?made pond

The water of Aoi Ike is held back by concrete structures that sit along the river, and over time the impounded water has accumulated around a stand of dead trees whose trunks now rise from the pond in narrow vertical lines. The pond is recorded with the name Shirogane Aoiike in local information, reflecting both the Shirogane district and the Japanese term for the blue pond in Biei.Shirogane Aoi Ike

The blue colour and standing trees

The most striking feature of Aoi Ike is the colour of the water, which on clear days appears in strong shades of blue that change with the light and angle of view. The blue colour is linked to fine particles suspended in the water, and descriptions of the pond refer to colloidal aluminium compounds that influence how sunlight is scattered and reflected across the surface.colloidal aluminium

The trunks that stand in the pond are pale, with branches largely absent, and form a regular field of vertical lines emerging from the water. Around the pond, forested slopes and riverside vegetation frame the scene, and visitors follow paths that run beside the shoreline, giving views across the water and towards the wooded hills beyond.forested Shirogane area

Location along prefectural road 966

Aoi Ike is located beside prefectural road 966, a local road that connects central Biei with the hot spring settlement of Shirogane Onsen and continues towards the Tokachidake Onsen area further into the hills.prefectural road 966 The pond lies close to the Biei River, and paths lead from the roadside towards the water, passing through woodland before reaching the viewpoints.

Information for travellers from abroad records the address of Aoi Ike as Shirogane, Biei Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido 071?0235, Japan, situating it in the broader geography of northern Hokkaido.Shirogane, Biei Town The setting combines river, forest and low mountain foothills, with the pond forming a small human?made feature within this wider landscape.

Visiting Aoi Ike: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Aoi Ike lies south?east of the town centre of Biei in Hokkaido, along prefectural road 966 between Biei and the hot spring area of Shirogane Onsen. Local buses run between Biei Station and Shirogane, stopping near the pond along the way.
• The short approach from the roadside to the pond follows forest paths and boardwalks, and involves walking on natural surfaces rather than paved urban streets.
• The surrounding area includes the Biei River and views towards the slopes of Mount Tokachi, and other viewpoints around Biei can be combined with a visit to the pond for a wider sense of the landscape.
• The official language is Japanese and the currency is the yen.

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Frequently asked questions about Aoi Ike

Where is Aoi Ike located?

Aoi Ike is in the Shirogane area of Biei Town in Hokkaido’s Kamikawa District, beside the Biei River and along prefectural road 966.

What can visitors expect when they reach the pond?

Visitors find a small man?made pond with pale tree trunks rising from strongly coloured water, reached by short paths through woodland from the roadside.

What makes Aoi Ike distinctive among Hokkaido landscapes?

The combination of its blue?tinted water surface, the regular field of standing tree trunks and its position within a forested river valley gives Aoi Ike a recognisable appearance.