The blue pond of hokkaido. Biei Pond - pure fantasy

Absolute blue pond is located on the island Hokkaido, which is the second largest in Japan and is located near the famous scenic city Biei. Name "Blue Pond" (Blue Pond) appeared for a reason, the pond is really bright blue, but where does the lake have such an amazing color?

The island of Hokkaido is interesting in itself, since 10% of the island's area is occupied by more than 20 national parks. Blue Lake can be found 2.5 kilometers northwest of Platinum Hot Springs at the foot of Mount Tokachi, the pond is located on the left bank of the Bieigoa River, southeast of Biei City in Hokkaido. The reservoir got its name due to its juicy, blue tint, and wooden posts sticking out of the lake from shrunken trees give it a certain charm.

The "Blue Pond" pond was formed not so long ago, in 1989, after the eruption of the Tokachi volcano, then a dam was built to protect against volcanic flows from the mountains, and a pond was formed in it. Why it became so blue and beautiful is still not exactly known, but there are suggestions that this is due to the fact that the water in the pond comes from hot springs and is saturated with aluminum salts, which in reflected sunlight make the water turquoise blue. The water in the pond is constantly updated, at different times of the day and from different angles it acquires different shades of blue, which makes it even more mysterious and beautiful.

The most beautiful pond becomes with the appearance of a thin crust of ice on it and the first snow, making it look like a landscape of a distant planet. This place is quite famous, but it gained the greatest popularity after the release of the Mountain Lion operating system from Apple, in which photos of the Blue Pond were posted. Now, in order to see this miracle of nature with their own eyes, crowds of tourists and photographers come here.

Biei Blue Pond(Blue Pond Biei) is a small body of water located on the left bank of the Bieigoa River on Japan's second largest island, Hokkaido. It lies at the very foot of Mount Tokachi, southeast of the picturesque town of Biei. Just 2.5 km away in the northwest are the Platinum hot springs.
The pond got its name for a reason - its water really has a juicy bright blue color, moreover, it has the ability to change its shade under certain conditions.

The history of the formation of the Blue Pond began in December 1988, immediately after the eruption of the Tokachi volcano. Then, in order to prevent a catastrophe and protect the area from the spread of mudflows that could descend from the volcano during subsequent eruptions, the regional development bureau decided to build a dam. The construction of the dam was completed in June 1989. The water blocked by the concrete structure lingered in the forest, as a result of which a reservoir with an incredibly beautiful color of water was formed there.

Gradually, the Blue Pond became more and more famous, the fame of it was actively passed from mouth to mouth over the past few years. And today, 24 years after its appearance, it has become one of the most popular natural attractions in Japan, chosen by a huge number of tourists.

Many studies have been carried out on the composition of the Blue Pond water, but the phenomenon of its unusual color has not yet been discovered. According to one of the assumptions, this phenomenon is associated with the mixing of water coming from hot springs with river water saturated with aluminum hydroxide. As a result, a kind of "cocktail" is formed, reflecting sunlight in the same way as the Earth's atmosphere does, which gives the reservoir a turquoise-blue color. The process of renewal of water in the pond occurs continuously. It is interesting that when observing the reservoir from different angles and at different times of the day, you can see the play of a wide variety of shades of blue: from rich blue to light turquoise. And the pillars of dried birches and larches striving upwards, standing in the center of the reservoir, give the local landscape a special charm.

The Blue Pond becomes most beautiful with the arrival of the first cold weather, when a thin crust of ice appears on its surface, which is then covered with the first snow, making it look like a frame from some science fiction film about distant planets. A photograph of just such a landscape gave the reservoir global popularity. It happened a year ago, in 2012, when Apple included a photo of the Blue Pond in the new OS X Mountain Lion operating system. This shot was taken by Biei resident photographer Kent Shiraishi at the end of October, when the first snow swirled over the pond. National Geographic named this image "Blue Pond and First Snow". Today, many tourists and photographers come here to see this miracle with their own eyes and capture it on their cameras.

To get to the Blue Pond, you first need to drive to Tokyo, from where you go to Biei Station, where you can take a shuttle bus that takes 15 minutes to a stop located just a 10-minute walk from the pond. For those who come with their own transport, there is a free car park nearby. Since the area of ​​the pond is quite small, a walk around it will only take about 30 minutes.

The small reservoir of Biei, known throughout Japan for the amazing blue color of its water, accidentally appeared on the left bank of the Bieigoa River (Hokkaido Island), when in the late eighties of the 20th century dam construction was carried out here.

It was necessary to block the mudflow ejected during the eruption of the Tokachi volcano. The pond, located directly at the foot of the flammable mountain, is still puzzling scientists who cannot explain the secret of its unusual aquamarine color.

According to one version, the purest turquoise color of Biei is due to the Platinum hot springs located two and a half kilometers (towards the northwest); on the other - large deposits of aluminum, whose hydroxide gives the water a unique brightness and saturation.

Depending on the weather conditions or the vantage point, the hue of Biei Pond also changes, ranging from deep blue to pale turquoise. Dried birches and larches sticking out of the center of the reservoir give Biei a truly fabulous look. In winter, the pond is covered with a thin ice crust and looks even more charming than in summer.

You can get to the Blue Pond on your own. To do this, you need to take a train on the Tokyo-Biei route, and then get on a bus or rent a car. From the city of Biei to the blue landmark is only fifteen minutes drive plus ten minutes walk from the bus stop. There is free parking for cars next to the pond. Biei itself can be bypassed in half an hour.

Blue Pond in Biei Hokkaido - VIDEO

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Biei Blue Pond - PHOTO

The Biei Blue Pond is comfortably located (or rather, it was placed almost artificially, but more on that below) at the foot of Mount Tokachi, on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.
As you may have guessed, the reservoir owes its unambiguous name to the unreal blue color of its water. Moreover, the color changes from juicy bright blue to pale turquoise. It depends on the time of day or the angle chosen by the viewer.

The color of Biei Pond is still a subject of debate among scholars. But his secret is still unsolved. There are some assumptions about this. One of them boils down to the fact that the water of geothermal sources, mixing with river rich aluminum hydroxide, form a mixture that can reflect light much like the atmosphere of our planet. Accordingly, the pond acquires its legendary and unique color.

Biei Pond was formed relatively recently. The history of its origin goes back only to 1988, when the local government decided to build a dam to protect the population from the mudflows that accompany the eruptions. In 1989 the dam was built. As a result, the water flowing down from the mountains began to fill the nearby forest. This has made an even greater contribution to the charm of the pond: now the tree trunks rush into the sky directly from the water.

The combination of incredible blue color with mysterious trees naturally began to attract not only local tourists, but also travelers from all over the world to these places. Now such an extraordinary attraction has become one of the hallmarks of Japan. Even a fruit company (like Apple) used the photo of Biei Pond in their OS X Mountain Lion operating system.

The pond is most attractive with the onset of cold weather, when thin ice begins to cover its surface. And if it also snows, then the pond acquires a special charm.

If you want to see the Biei Blue Pond, first get to Tokyo, then take the train to Biei City, and finally take the bus to the required stop. Then 10 minutes walk to the pond.

The pond is quite compact, so a walk around it will take no more than half an hour.

Blue Pond Biei photo