Patchwork Road
A rolling countryside drive north of Biei Station, where Ken and Mary Tree, Seven Star Tree and Parent and Child Tree stand among farmland that looks like patchwork.
The Patchwork Road is the common name for the rural hill roads northwest of Route 237 in northern Biei Town. It is not a single numbered road. Wheat, potatoes, sugar beet and buckwheat divide the rolling hills into fields of different colours, like a patchwork quilt, which gives the road its name. From JR Biei Station, visitors can seek out trees made famous by advertising: the Ken and Mary Tree from a Nissan commercial, the Seven Star Tree from a Seven Stars cigarette package, the Parent and Child Tree (three trees standing side by side) and the Philosopher's Tree. There are also views of the Daisetsu mountains and the Tokachidake range from Hokusei no Oka Observation Park and Atomu no Oka. The loop is about 15 km and takes 1 to 2 hours by car. Visitors can also rent electric bicycles at Biei Station. It is often combined on the same day with the Panorama Road to the south, Blue Pond and Shikisai no Oka. Many of the famous trees stand beside private farmland. Entering the fields to take photos is strictly prohibited. The Philosopher's Tree was felled after tourists trampled the area. Park only in designated car parks and do not stop on narrow rural lanes.