This is the diaries of a week-long trip to central Hokkaido, and more specifically to Biei—a small town of 9,000 residents, whose name combines the kanji for “beauty” and “crystal” — 美瑛, which has gained considerable recognition in recent years for its stunning landscapes. While the main draw is the lavender and flower fields that color the region in summer, much like Provence, its winter charm, as I experienced last week, also draws significant attention—public buses running at double capacity, hotels fully booked, and dinner reservations often required.

Beyond the major sites, which can feel overwhelming at first due to the crowds but are still worth a visit, the region remains ideal for more secluded winter walks and countless awe-inspiring moments, thanks to its isolated yet strangely inviting winter scenery—provided you’re dressed for -10°C temperatures and don’t mind the occasional (soft) fall into the snow.

While I initially planned to spend a few days in Biei and then take advantage of JR Hokkaido’s extensive train network to chase the snow, I ended up staying the entire week, exploring the town and its surrounding areas. The cozy, snow-covered town, with its charming Christmas atmosphere, was simply too irresistible—especially when paired with impeccably blue skies during the day, a first for me during a winter visit to Hokkaido.

Also, I hadn’t expected to spend so much time outdoors and be able to take long walks, given the freezing temperatures. However, once I felt confident that I wouldn’t freeze to death—thanks to Uniqlo’s ultra-heattech undershirts and pants (priced under USD 15 in Japan)—I started skipping the bus and train as much as possible, which gave me another reason to extend my stay.

The diaries cover Biei and the adjacent Asahikawa City, which, despite its ordinariness, surprisingly blows my mind every single time I visit.

Following my itinerary, each post will highlight spots like Christmas Tree, Shirahige Waterfall, Blue Pond (once featured as a MacBook default wallpaper), Asahidake—Hokkaido’s highest mountain in Daisetsuzan National Park—and my favorite hiking destination in Japan, which, in winter, looks like a perfect setting for a disaster movie: incredibly un-hikeable (honestly, hostile), but still undeniably beautiful.

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This is the first entry in the Hokkaido Travel Diaries, starting with the first day of the trip, December 21st. The day includes a visit to Shirahige Waterfall, one of Japan’s most iconic landscapes, followed by Shiroganefudano Waterfall, which may not be as iconic but offers a much more secluded experience.

It ends with a quick stop at Blue Pond before heading back to Biei town for dinner at a lovely yakitori place. Logistical details, including access information and booking tips, will be provided in the final, fourth post of the series.

On the shortest day of the year, I left home in the dark around 4:30 a.m. to catch my 7 a.m. flight from Haneda Airport, arriving at Asahikawa Airport just after 8:30 a.m. After a short taxi ride—since I was too impatient to wait for the public bus and risk missing the rare blue skies of winter in Hokkaido—I reached Biei around 9 a.m. I had just enough time to drop off a few items at the hotel before catching the bus to Shirahige Waterfall.

I chose to stay at Hotel Lavenir, just a few minutes from Biei Train Station. Housed in a building originally constructed in 1915, the hotel is as far from a design hotel as you can imagine. Yet, for a reasonable rate of USD 60 a night for a single room, it offers a unique appeal: warm lighting and decor that doesn’t quite belong to the Showa era but evokes a similar coziness, basic yet well-equipped rooms that are spacious by Japanese standards, and exceptionally friendly staff.

If you stretch your imagination a little—as I often do to make my travels fit the experience/feeling I’ve dreamed to have/feel before trips, which frequently makes me question my reliability as a travel narrator—you might even say that Hotel Lavenir carries a hint of Rosebud Motel from Schitt’s Creek, but with much more helpful staff and higher hygiene standards.

While Lavenir has the most central location, there are plenty of other accommodation options in town, as well as cottage-style lodgings scattered around the greater area, which I’d only recommend if you have a car.