Exploring Biei countryside by car and evening in Asahikawa

23 May 2026

Biei is famous for its beautiful natural scenery created by vast rolling, flower-covered farmlands, with the magnificent Tokachi Mountain Range as a backdrop.

In spring, the flowers in the fields are newly planted and not fully in bloom so the typical attractions like Farm Tomita, Shikisai no Oka and Zerubu Hill could be skipped. I had also visited attractions like Farm Tomita, Farm Chiyoda, Shirogane Blue Pond, and the cascading Shirahige Falls in my previous trip in August 2023.

So on this road trip, I would focus on sights that I missed. This includes a drive down Panorama Road, Roller Coaster Road and also seeing the famous trees around the Biei countryside, like the Ken & Mary Tree, the Seven Stars Tree, and the majestic Christmas Tree.

Panorama Road

After enjoying the vast yellow canola fields in Takikawa, we drove to what is known as the Panorama Road near Kamifurano. The journey to the starting point of Panorama Road (Google Map location here) took slightly over an hour through scenic country roads.

A marker on the roadside marks the beginning of the Panorama Road.

I had actually driven on this stretch of road on my previous trip but it was in the opposite direction! Hence, it was not as “panoramic” as it should be.

The best views are seen when driving in the southern-east direction where we could see vast farmlands with the Tokachi Mountain Range in the back. In spring, the mountains were still snow-covered at the top and it was a beautiful sight.

Start of the Panorama Road with the Tokachi Mountain Range in the background.

We actually saw a volcano with a plume cloud of steam and gases. The local residents would not be thrilled or excited by the sight of an active volcanic spewing gases and steam. For me, this was still a fascinating experience although I had seen similar sights while visiting Kyushu, namely Mount Aso and Sakurajima.

Mount Tokachi (Tokachidake), a highly active volcano, spewing gases.

The drive down Panorama Road was really scenic. I was glad to chance upon a farmer’s truck laden with rice seedlings. Late spring is the rice planting season and we could see the water logged paddy fields with freshly planted rice seedlings.

Rice seedlings on a farmer’s truck along Panorama Road.

 Vast farmlands on both sides of the road and the Tokachi Mountain Range in the background. 

Roller Coaster Road

From Panorama Road, we drove a short distance to "Nishi 11sen Doro" or what is known as the Roller Coaster Road. Google Map Location here.

This long and straight stretch of road, approximately 4.5 kilometers long, features steep ascents and descents like a roller coaster. The road is potentially hazardous with the steep ascents and descents over the hills limiting visibility, and the chance of encountering some crazy drivers trying to experience the G-forces of a roller coaster.

Marker at the middle part of the Roller Coaster Road. We did not make a stop here as parking is limited.

We drove down the entire stretch of the scenic road but did not stop. My wife took a video of the drive from the windscreen of the car.

Roller Coaster Road. The entire road resembles a roller coaster track, stretching up and down across Biei's countryside.

Biei Christmas Tree

The first of the famous trees in Biei we saw was the Christmas Tree. There are no designated parking spaces near the tree. Fortunately, there was no other car around. We just stopped by the roadside and took some quick photos of this famous lone pine.   

Biei’s famous Christmas Tree, standing all alone, on an empty piece of freshly ploughed farmland.

I must say, this single pine tree is surprisingly photogenic.

Oka No Sanpo Michi

We were actually going to Hokusei-no-oka Observatory Park when we saw Oka No Sanpo Michi, an ice cream shop set in a farm.

This is a very nice place to stop for coffee and ice-cream. The surrounding area was so peaceful and scenic and the coffee and ice-cream were delicious. Perfect for a pit-stop after so much driving around Biei.

The shop is located in a farm, so there was plenty of green grass, wild flowers, farms and views of the mountain ranges.

Views of  Mount Tokachi, the active volcano.

There are also some baby farm animals to interact with. A farmer brought out her kids (as in baby goats!) to us to have a closer look.

Foal of a miniature horse at Oka No Sanpo Michi.

 

Hokusei-no-oka Observatory Park

By the time we arrived at Hokusei-no-oka Observatory, it was about 4.40 PM. We were the only car in the large parking lot located at the top. There is a pyramid shape lookout structure but there was no need to go there.

Pyramid Observation Deck in the back. We did not climb up to the observation deck.

We could already have great views across Biei and the valley to the Tokachi Mountain Range. I think the views of the flower fields from here would be nice in summer. 

Useful signboard to help us identify which mountain was the active volcano. It was Tokachidake.

Interesting building selling coffee and snacks but it was closed.

Ken and Mary Tree, Seven Star Tree and Parent and Child Tree

Sunset time in Biei on this day is about 7 PM. When on a road trip, I made it a point to avoid driving on country roads after dark for safety reasons. We had some time left to see a few more of Biei’s famous trees. They were all located quite close by.

There are ample parking spaces near the Ken and Mary Tree and also the Seven Stars Tree. After we parked our car, a tour bus rolled in and unloaded a large group of tourists. It is amazing how trees in the Biei countryside could become a tourist attraction.

The trees, on their own merits, are nothing great to see. It is the surrounding Biei countryside that is the star. For example, the freshly ploughed land, with the lines on them, is quite photogenic. The views in summer, with colourful flowers, or in winter, with snow covered landscape, would have been even nicer.

Ken and Mary Tree - Tall & solitary poplar tree, known for its appearance in a 1970s Nissan commercial.

The Biei farmland is actually the star of the show Not the famous trees. The views at any seasons are quite nice.

 

Seven Stars Tree – an Iconic oak tree once depicted on packaging for a popular brand of Japanese tobacco.

A tractor rolled by and the farmer must be wondering what is all the fuss over some trees.

Like the Biei’s Christmas Tree, the Parent and Child Trees are actually quite good subjects to photograph. There are three trees, two large and one small, side by side, right at the top of a hill.

Parent and Child Trees. I like the simple “standalone” look with no other trees on the horizon.

There are no proper parking spaces near the trees and the trees are on private land. That does not matter since the best compositions for a nice photo are actually from afar. I just snap photos of them silhouetted with the blue grey sky from the roadside.

It was already slightly past 5 PM when we left Biei for Asahikawa. The drive to Asahikawa took about 30 minutes and we arrived at JR Inn Asahikawa before dark.

Evening at Asahikawa

JR Inn Asahikawa is located on top of the Asahikawa JR Station and also next to Aeon Mall Asahikawa Station. 

After checking in, we went for dinner at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, located near Asahikawa JR Station. While Asahikawa is traditionally known for soy sauce (shoyu) ramen, Santouka made its name by doing things differently.

This restaurant is famous for its signature mild, pork-bone shio (salt) ramen topped with a single pickled plum (ume). 

Shio Ramen with added onsen egg on top of the standard kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), menma (bamboo shoots), negi (spring onions), naruto (fish cake), chashu pork slices, and ume.

We also had gyozas which are pretty good too.

After a satisfying dinner, we bought some drinks and snacks for our road trip from a 7-11 shop and also took a walk around Aeon Mall.

There is a nice pet store (Pet Life) featuring very cute puppies and kittens and a supermarket at the basement where we bought more local snacks.

Continue Reading »

Enjoying Canola Flower Fields at Takikawa Nanohana Festival 2026

23 May 2026

Visiting Hokkaido in the last week of May meant that we missed seeing the cherry blossoms that blooms every spring in late April and early May. However, Hokkaido features many other flowers that are best viewed in late May and early June.

 

One such flower is the canola. The canola flower fields of Takikawa City boast one of the largest cultivation areas in Japan. From mid-May to early June, these blooming flowers stretch to the very edge of the horizon and filling our field of vision with brilliant yellow color. These are sights that city dwellers like me dream of seeing.

I had read that access to the flower fields in Takikawa is prohibited to protect farmers' livelihoods, prevent the spread of soil pathogens, and avoid accidental property damage. So, we could only view the flower fields from the windows of our cars because the narrow country roads do not have parking lots near the canola flower fields. 

This is a bummer! However, there is a way to get up close to the flower fields, which is during the annual Nanohana Festival.

Takikawa Nanohana Festival 2026

The Takikawa Nanohana Festival started back in 2000 and has become the city's largest annual event, with crowds of around 100,000 people longing to appreciate the beauty of these vibrant yellow flowers.

The Takikawa Nanohana Festival for 2026 will be held from May 16 to May 24 (10 AM to 4 PM) which is during the best viewing period. During weekends, visitors to the festival are granted rare access to a specific canola flower field that is selected for the event. This would provide visitors with a magical experience of being surrounded 360 degrees by yellow flowers.

Our day of arrival to Hokkaido on May 23, 2026 was on the last Saturday of the festival. This offered us an opportunity that we just could not miss.

Getting to the Takikawa Nanohana Festival 

The 2026 festival is located at the Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Rest Area) Takikawa for this year and also in the preceding years. Google Map location here. The nearest JR train station is Ebeotsu Station and there are shuttle buses linking the station to the event venue during the festival.

Since we are on a road trip, we will be going by rental car.

We collected our rental car from the Toyota Rent-a-Car office located next to Chitose International Airport at about 10 AM. From there, it was a 110 km drive to Takikawa via a combination of scenic rural roads, national routes and E5 expressway (toll-road) that took slightly over 1.5 hours.

Takikawa Nanohana Festival Event Area

Michi-no-Eki Takikawa transforms into an event area during the festival. There are ample parking spaces to cater to the visitors.  

Takikawa Nanohana Festival Event Area

By the time we arrived, the event venue was already quite packed with both Japanese and foreign tourists, all keen to experience Hokkaido’s special flower fields.

We went to the temporary tourist information booth to get Canola Flower Festival information and pamphlet. In particular, we need to find out how to get to the Canola Flower Field Special Venue to see the flower fields.

There is a Gourmet Fiesta with stalls selling food, snacks and local products, including canola based products. The food stalls offers food like grilled meat, noodles (udon and ramen), rice bowls, gyoza and desserts.

There is also a Kitchencar Festival featuring some of the best local food trucks selling delicious looking food.

   We were feeling a bit hungry and tired from our overnight flight and morning drive, so the first things we did was to grab something to eat before heading out to the flower fields.     

Make-shift benches and chairs were laid out across a lawn to provide a nice area for a picnic. 

We ate a one-hand pizza from a food truck that is quite good.

This Zangi (Hokkaido’s signature fried chicken) was super good. Crispy skin on the outside and moist chicken inside.

Getting to the Canola Flower Field Special Venue

Visitors to the Canola Flower Field Special Venue, has to take a Flower Bus (1000 yen which includes the 500 Yen admission to the flower field). This event bus only operates on weekends.

Note: There is also Canola Flower Taxi (fare required) operating out of Roadside Rest Area Takikawa to the site which cost 1000 yen per person but do not include the admission to the flower fields. After departing from Roadside Rest Area Takikawa, taxis will drive through the most beautiful flower fields on that given day and also stop by the Canola Flower Field Special Venue on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the festival period.

We bought the tickets for the bus and were given yellow-coloured identification wrist tags. The bus operates every 15 minutes but was   packed like sardines when we took it. Fortunately we queued early for the bus and got seats for the 10 minutes ride.

Booth selling the shuttle bus tickets that runs between Roadside Rest Area Takikawa and the Canola Flower Field Special Venue.

First view of the expansive yellow canola flower fields from the bus.

What are canolas cultivated for?

I am familiar with canola oil as I used bottles of them for cooking. Canola oil is not extracted directly from the flowers, but rather from the tiny black seeds that develop inside the pods left behind after the canola flowers bloom. In Takikawa, local farmers harvest these seeds and use traditional, natural pressing methods to produce high-quality cooking oils. The resulting "nanohana oil" is prized for its fresh, slightly nutty flavor and is celebrated at the annual Takikawa Canola Flower Festival.

There are two main types of nanohana cultivated in Takikawa – the Kizaki no Natane variety which is primarily used to make rapeseed oil, and the Haru no Kagayaki variety which is typically used as a food source.

Walking amongst the Canola Flowers!

Once we alighted from the bus, we were provided with plastic shoe covers that are to be worn over our shoes. This is to prevent the spread of pathogens onto the fields.

Then we are free to wander onto the fields!

It was a sight to behold. It was mesmerising feeling, to stand amongst the blooms and watching the wind ripple through fields of flowers.

       

There were props set up deliberately to satisfy the instagrammers and photographers. This included a haystack and a pink coloured “door-to- nowhere”. I found out later that this pink wooden door is related to the Doraemon franchise. In the manga and anime, the pink coloued “Anywhere Door” serves as a portal that allows users to instantly travel to any location they desire by stating their destination before stepping through it.

There was even a classic straw broomstick with a small black cat (Studio Ghibli's character Kiki), for visitors to recreate the flying witch look made famous by the anime Kiki's Delivery Service.

Friendly staffs were stationed near each prop to help visitors to take couple or group photos when needed.

The “Anywhere Door”. The first of many that we would see during this trip.

Haystack prop that is specially brought onto the site for photographers.

The “star” of the event. Not the couple but the vast yellow flower fields behind us.

We all have some little “souvenirs” after venturing onto the fields.

Pollen grains!

Our clothes were coated with tiny specks of the yellow dust. Fortunately, they were easy to brush off and did not stain our dark coloured clothes.

Overall, it had been an amazing experience participating in the Takikawa Nanohana Festival. A good start to our 10 day road trip.

Continue Reading »

Trip overview – 6 days in Da Nang with friends

My wife and I were glad to join our old school mates for a trip to Da Nang and also Hoi An without having to do much planning ourselves. This is because one of the couple has relatives living in Da Nang and hence had visited Da Nang and Hoi An many times. So they volunteered to plan the itinerary for our trip. They also help to buy the tickets to Ba Na Hills, and arranged private vehicles with local drivers to ferry us around on some days. They even managed to secure some discounts for our stay at New World Hoiana Hotel in Hoi An.

We chose to go in March since March in Da Nang features pleasant, dry spring weather, making it one of the best times to visit. March is supposed to be the dry season but the weather forecasted was rain almost everyday during our stay. Fortunately, the rain in South East Asia is heavy but short in duration.

Getting to Da Nang

We travelled to Da Nang from Singapore via Vietjet Air. One key reason for choosing this airline was that Vietjet Air is not operating the dreaded Boeing 737-800 Max on this route. This was the first time we had tried this budget airline and all was good. The only letdown was that Vietjet did not use the aero-bridge when we arrived at Da Nang International Airport.

Disembarking from our plane at Da Nang International Airport.

Our hotels in Hoi An and Da Nang

We stayed at the New World Hoiana Hotel for the first 2 days. This hotel is one of the 4 hotels within the Hoiana Integrated Resort located by the coast near Hoi An. We enjoyed the facilities of this luxury Integrated Resort and used it as a base to explore the Hoi An area.

Casino at the Hoiana Integration Resort.

More details of our stay at this resort are described below:

Trip report: Our Stay at New World Hoiana Hotel in Hoi An.

After Hoi An, we returned to Da Nang and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Danang City Centre by IHG. We chose to stay near the city centre for easy access to shopping, restaurants and this hotel is close to the Han River, Han Market and Dragon Bridge.

View from my room at Crowne Plaza Danang City Centre Hotel.

 

This was how we spent our 6 days in Da Nang and Hoi An.

 

Day 1 (5 March 2026) – Arrival and travel to Hoi An

Our direct flight from Singapore to Da Nang took about 3 hours. We arrived as scheduled at about 1 PM. 

Our private van with driver picked us from the airport and brought us to Da Nang for lunch at An Thoi Restaurant. Our friends, who organised this trip, had dined at this restaurant before and told us this is a must-try restaurant when in Da Nang.

The restaurant serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine like Banh Xeo, various kinds of Vietnamese Spring Rolls, White Rose Dumplings, and seafood.

Trip report: Lunch at An Thoi Restaurant in Da Nang

After lunch, we proceeded to Hoi An. The drive from Da Nang to our hotel took about 1 hour. After check-in, we spent some time enjoying the facilities at the Hoiana Integrated Resort before having our dinner in Hoi An Ancient Town.

Dinner at Morning Glory Signature Restaurant in Hoi An

Hoi An Ancient Town is beautifully lit at night and we had time to enjoy a walk by the riverside after dinner.

The iconic Japanese Covered Bridge at the Ancient Town.

Trip report: Dinner at Morning Glory Restaurant in Hoi An 

 

Day 2 (6 March 2026) – Coconut Boat Tour and Hoi An Ancient Town

After breakfast in the hotel, we went to check out the private beach. We had the whole beach to ourselves.

Private beach at Hoiana Integrated Resort.

It was late morning when we travelled by private van to the Bay Mau Coconut Forest area. We did the Coconut Boat Tour in Hoi An in the late morning. This is one of Hoi An’s popular tourist activities.

We rode the iconic Vietnamese basket boat through serene waterways and coconut forest.

Trip report: Experiencing the Coconut Boat Tour in Hoi An

After our adventure riding the coconut boat, we proceed to Hoi An Ancient Town.

We had lunch at Madam Khanh (one of the best Banh Mi restaurants in town) and dessert at a roadside stall.

Madam Khanh’s banh mi – amongst the best.

Thereafter we spent the afternoon and evening exploring the old town.

Enjoy our drinks at the Cafe Street or Trần Phú Street in the old town.

The spa in Hoi An is quite affordable and having a foot massage is a good activity to do at the end of the day.

We enjoyed local cuisine at the MẸT Vietnamese Restaurant & Vegetarian Food located by the riverside. 

Cao Lau, a noodle that can only be made in Hoi An.

Many visitors enjoying boat rides on the Hoai River that flow through the old town at night.

The Hoi An Ancient Town is especially beautiful at night, when lanterns are lit all over.

Trip report: Afternoon and Evening in Hoi An Ancient Town.

Day 3 (7 March 2026) – Travel from Hoi An to Da Nang. Shopping, Seafood dinner and see the Dragon Bridge.

We travelled by chartered van from Hoi An to Da Nang in the morning.

After check-in, we had time to explore Da Nang city for the rest of the day by ourselves. We spend some time shopping for local products at Vincom Plaza before enjoying dinner at Moc Quan Seafood. Da Nang is an excellent place to enjoy a value-for-money seafood feast and one of the best seafood restaurants in town was MỘC Quán Seafood.

Must eat the seafood at Da Nang.

We took the opportunity to celebrate a birthday at Moc Quan Seafood.

At night, we went to see the Dragon Bridge and enjoyed the fire and water show that takes place at 9 PM every weekend. 

Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge that breathes fire and spew water every weekend at 9 PM.

We also had time to check out the Son Tra Night Market, located next to the Dragon’s head.

Trip report: Exploring Da Nang – Shopping at Vincom Plaza, Dinner at Moc Quan and fire and water show at Dragon Bridge.

 

Day 5 (8 March 2026) – Shopping and Sightseeing in Da Nang

This is the day to explore Da Nang city on foot and by taxis. We planned to do more shopping and sightseeing on this day. Plus, enjoying the good food that this vibrant Vietnamese city has to offer.

After breakfast at Banh Mi Co Tien, we did shopping at Han Market, one of the largest traditional markets in Da Nang with lots of things to buy.

Entrance to Han Market.

We had lunch at An Thoi Restaurant (again). This restaurant is located next to Han Market.

After lunch, we visited the Ling Unh Pagoda located in Son Tra Peninsula and My Khe Beach by taxi.

Linh Ung Pagoda is a famous spiritual site in Da Nang. The most important and visible highlight of the Linh Ung pagoda is the statue of Lady Buddha.

Impressive statue of the Lady Buddha or Guan Yin at the Ling Unh Pagoda.

My Khe Beach is located on the east of Da Nang City and it made sense to see this beach after our visit to the Son Tra Peninsula.

Enjoying a stroll at My Khe Beach.

We had more of Da Nang’s cheap and good seafood for dinner at a restaurant near My Khe Beach.

Trip report: Exploring Da Nang – Shopping, Sightseeing and Good Food.

Day 6 (9 March 2026) – Day trip to Ba Na Hills 

Ba Na Hills is a popular tourist destination in Vietnam featuring a replica of a France medieval town with beautiful flower gardens and the famous Golden Bridge.

The Golden Bridge has two giant hands holding the walkway and is one of Da Nang’s most famous attractions.

As it is an extremely popular attraction, we chose a weekday to visit Ba Na Hills so as to avoid the massive crowds on weekends.

Ba Na Hills is located 1,487 meters up in the Da Nang mountains and about 25 kilometres from Da Nang city center. We booked a private van with local driver for our daytrip to Ba Na Hills.

There was a Tulip Festival when we visited.

Trip report: Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge

We ended the day with Korean BBQ dinner back at Da Nang city. 

Trip report: Korean BBQ in Da Nang

Day 7 (10 March 2026) – Free and easy morning before leaving

We had a nice breakfast at Bun Cha Ca 109 and coffee at La Bicicleta before leaving Da Nang.

Bún chả cá 109 is actually a Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded restaurant and only serves Bun Cha Ca(Vietnamese Fishcake Noodle Soup), their house specialty.

Bun Cha Ca with a mixture of fish cake, crab cake and crab paste.

Trip report: Morning at Da Nang City.

Continue Reading »