The artificially created emerald-green and tranquil Blue Pond is most beautiful when viewed in the afternoon under direct sunlight.

Text and photos byKavanah

The Blue Pond is located in the Shirahige Onsen area of Biei and is a famous attraction beloved by many photography enthusiasts. Public transportation to the Blue Pond is not very convenient, with only a few bus services per day, so most visitors come by car. On this day, after visiting the Farm Tomita, we drove back to Biei and headed to the Blue Pond near Shirahige Onsen. The Blue Pond is not a natural formation but an artificial wonder. In Showa 63 (1989), when nearby Mount Tokachi erupted, the local government built a dam to store debris flows in order to protect the town of Biei. After the completion of this dam, the artificial lake known as the Blue Pond was formed.

The Blue Pond is a very popular tourist spot, and on the day of our visit, there were many visitors. The parking lot was completely full, and we had to wait a while before finding a spot. After parking, we walked along the path toward the pond. An information sign at the entrance of the trail explains the origins of the Blue Pond and why the water appears blue.

The weather was not ideal on the day of our visit, so the pond water appeared emerald green instead of blue—we didn’t get to see the iconic blue pond.

The submerged dead trees reminded me of Taiwan’s Forest of Forgetfulness.

The best time to visit the Blue Pond is actually in the afternoon when the light is direct. Unfortunately, I might not have slept well and forgot about that—I came in the morning and didn’t get to see the view I was hoping for at first. Thankfully, later on, I walked to the other side of the pond and discovered that from this angle, the light was direct, allowing me to see the beautiful reflections of the dead trees.

Although the pond water wasn’t as blue as imagined, the emerald-green hue had a different kind of beauty.

Afterward, we drove to the nearby Shirahige Falls in Shirahige Onsen.

We visited here last year in winter, and the scenery in summer and winter is truly completely different.

Here are a few more photos of Shirahige Falls in winter.

A new chapter of life begins in Kyoto.
Kavanah @ Kyoto — living freely.