Most travelers visit Biei, Hokkaido’s picturesque countryside, by tour bus or rental car. But did you know you can actually make this journey by train? I recently visited Sapporo to Biei using just my JR Rail Pass, and I’m excited to share my experience with you!
I’d been to Biei before with a rental car, so I didn’t feel the need to visit all the tourist spots again. Plus, I already had a rail pass that I wanted to make the most of, so taking the train made perfect sense for my situation.
Just a heads-up though – Biei Station is mainly where tour groups stop for lunch. The famous attractions like the Seven Stars Tree, Ken and Mary’s Tree, and Shirahige Waterfall require transportation to reach. The station area itself is a small village without many major attractions. Since I’d visited these spots before, I was happy to explore what was accessible by train only.
If this is your first time to Biei and you want to see all the tourist attractions, I’d definitely recommend going with a tour or rental car instead.
1. Getting from Sapporo to Biei by Train
There’s no direct train from Sapporo to Biei. You’ll need to:
- Take a train from Sapporo to Asahikawa Station
- Transfer to the Furano Line to reach Biei Station
Despite needing to go through Asahikawa, the whole journey only takes about 2 hours. And if you time your connections right, it can actually be faster than driving!
2. Reaching Asahikawa Station
I reserved my seat to Asahikawa Station in advance. With a rail pass, you can make seat reservations on train routes, which I definitely recommend.
If you’re curious about how to purchase and collect your rail pass, or how to make seat reservations, I’ve included a link to my previous post about this at the bottom of this article.
The scenery on the way from Sapporo to Asahikawa was absolutely stunning. I traveled in March when most of the snow in Sapporo had melted away. But as we headed north, there was still plenty of snow on the ground! It was wonderful to enjoy these winter landscapes even in early spring.
Asahikawa Station itself is large and clean. Looking out the station windows, I even spotted people moving around on what looked like skis through the snowy streets. It really drove home that this is a region that gets serious snowfall!
3. From Asahikawa to Biei
The Furano Line that connects Asahikawa to Biei doesn’t have reserved seating. With my rail pass, I could simply board without making any separate reservation – one of the great conveniences of having the pass!
The Furano Line trains are similar to subway cars, where you just find an empty seat and make yourself comfortable. After about 30 minutes on this train, you’ll arrive at Biei Station.
4. What to See Around Biei Station
As I mentioned earlier, there aren’t tons of attractions immediately around Biei Station. However, the area does have several restaurants, making it a popular lunch stop. I had lunch at Junpei, a restaurant famous for its delicious tempura shrimp rice bowls.
The one major attraction that’s accessible from the station area is the Four Seasons Tower, which I definitely recommend visiting.
5. Four Seasons Tower (Free Admission!)
The Four Seasons Tower is connected to what appears to be Biei’s town office building – probably similar to a city hall or local government office. The observatory is open:
- May to October: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- November to April: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
The observatory tower isn’t particularly tall, but since Biei doesn’t have any high-rise buildings, even this modest height gives you a complete panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
The structure connects to the second floor of the office building, but when I visited, we could only enter through the outside entrance of the observatory.
Once you climb up to the observation deck, you’re treated to a fantastic view of Biei and the snow-covered mountains beyond. I was lucky to visit on a clear day, and just gazing at the open landscape was incredibly healing and peaceful.
Since admission is free, I highly recommend stopping by if you’re visiting Biei.
6. Final Thoughts on Biei by Rail
Biei is a small but charming village with a distinctly cozy atmosphere. During my trip, I didn’t just visit Biei Station; I also made my way to Shirahige Waterfall, one of the region’s famous attractions. The good news is you can reach it by bus, so you don’t necessarily need a tour or rental car! I’ll share how to get there in my next blog post.
