Biei Christmas Tree: Beautiful, Crowded, and Not What I Expected

Last Updated on March 17, 2026 by Charlotte

Biei’s lonely Christmas Tree stands solemnly on the rise of a rolling hill, the surrounding farmland painted with white, yet, in reality, this tree is anything but lonely. Unlike some of Biei’s other famous trees, like the Ken & Mary Tree or the Mild Seven Hill, the Biei Christmas Tree quietly rose to fame through obscure landscape photography communities before blowing up on social media.

A wide, airy shot of Biei's snowy landscape showing the Christmas Tree as a tiny dark silhouette against an expansive white field and overcast sky, emphasizing its isolation.

To my surprise, the surrounding village of Bibaushi, where the Lonely Christmas Tree is located, has only 107 residents — yet it regularly welcomes at least ten times that number as daily visitors. We visited Biei’s Lonely Christmas Tree during a blizzard, but I was not expecting much. And yet, I left with some of my favorite photos from Hokkaido… and a strange sense that I hadn’t really experienced the place at all.

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Biei Christmas Tree: Instagram VS Reality

Here’s the thing about knowing a place is overhyped: it doesn’t actually protect you from wanting to go. I knew the Biei Christmas Tree was going to be crowded, and I knew it was, objectively, just a tree.

A minimalist winter landscape in Biei, Japan, featuring a single small evergreen tree standing alone in an expansive white snow field under a pale sky.

And yet, the thought of being in Biei, a short taxi ride away, and not going felt wrong. What if the light hit perfectly? What if it actually lived up to the photos?” And so we went. Not because we believed the hype, but because we didn’t want to risk missing whatever small, fleeting version of magic might actually be there.

Our Visit to the Biei Christmas Tree

Our Taxi rolled up behind a line of cars, all waiting to park, and our driver ushered us out into the throngs of people, hundreds even, pouring out of tour buses, and hustling up the country road toward the viewing area.

A crowded parking area in Biei, Japan in winter, with orange traffic cones, a white vehicle, and a line of bundled-up visitors gathered near a snow-covered forest — the unglamorous tourist reality of visiting the Christmas Tree.

We wove between neon orange traffic cones, past police directing traffic, and along a bright red guide rope that blocked off the pasture. The crowd was thick with well-heeled visitors, with tripods and selfie sticks and ring lights. Finally, we found a spot along the rope with a gap, to get some photos without people in them.

A person in a white coat stretches their arm upward in the snow at Biei, creating the illusion of holding or touching the tiny Christmas Tree in the distance — a classic forced perspective shot.

While we were taking our photos, a group next to us discussed with dismay that they “couldn’t believe that they had ridden on a coach bus all the way from Sapporo just for this,” while the group on our other side practically glowed with exuberance that they could take their Christmas card photos in such a pristine place. They didn’t have snow in the Philippines. To them, this was a magical experience.

A couple crouches playfully in the snow near Biei's Christmas Tree, smiling at the camera, with the lone spruce rising behind them against a white winter sky.

We spent just under twenty minutes here and then slipped back through the crowds to continue on to the next stop on our road trip of Biei’s Patchwork Hills.

Was It Worth the Trip?

Modern travel, at its most honest, is often exactly this: we go somewhere to feel something, and we come away with a photo that captures a feeling the moment itself couldn’t quite deliver. I loved the soft white winter landscapes, the lone spruce against a pale sky, and the rolling hills stretching out behind it.

A lone visitor in a black jacket and boots stands in a vast snowy field in Biei, with a small solitary spruce tree visible in the distance behind them.

Our photos became the souvenir of a moment that was too crowded and chaotic to fully experience. And in a way, to me, that feels a bit hollow. And yet… I don’t regret going.

So was it worth the trip?

If you’re already in Biei, yes — go. It’s a quick stop, and the landscape really is beautiful. Just know that what you’ll take home might not be the moment itself, but the version of it that you frame through your lens.

How To Visit the Biei Christmas Tree

The Biei Christmas Tree has exploded in popularity, so here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit:

Getting There

The Biei Christmas Tree is located in Bibaushi, a rural area just outside central Biei in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s not pinned as a major attraction on all maps, so it’s easiest to navigate by searching “Biei Christmas Tree” or using coordinates provided by your taxi driver or tour.

Unfortunately, the Biei Christmas tree is not well serviced by public transit, but there are a few ways you can visit.

By Car

The Biei Christmas Tree is around a 10-minute drive from JR Biei Station. Parking is crowded and limited, and in peak season, expect a bit of a slow shuffle behind tour buses and very determined photographers.

By Shuttle

If you’re already in Biei and you don’t have a car, the easiest way to visit the Biei Christmas Tree is by the Christmas Tree Shuttle that departs from the Biei Tourist Information Office 3x daily, between December 01 and February 28th, for only 1,000 yen per person.

By Group Tour

The Biei Christmas Tree is a popular stop on day tours from Sapporo. I’ll drop a few good ones below:

By Taxi

The Tourism Office near JR Biei Station is able to call you a taxi. However, Biei Taxi has only 10 cars in the fleet, so your luck of getting a Taxi to and from the Christmas Tree at the last minute during peak season is a mixed bag.

If you know your plans in advance, Biei Taxi does offer sightseeing taxis that you can charter in advance, for a specific sightseeing course and time period.

For some context, I reached out to Biei Taxi Hire around a month in advance to see if I could book a sightseeing taxi for mid-February, and they were fully booked.

Best Time of Day to Visit

The best time to visit the Biei Christmas Tree depends a little on what you’re hoping to get out of it. If you’re chasing that quiet, minimalist landscape you’ve probably seen in photos, early morning or late afternoon will give you the softest light and your best chance at fewer crowds.

A person in a white coat and light blue scarf stands amid Biei's gently rolling snow-covered hills, with the iconic lone Christmas Tree visible in the soft white background.

We visited in the middle of the day on a Thursday during peak winter season in February, and while the snow-covered hills were undeniably beautiful, the viewing area was busy with tour buses and photographers. If you can, aim for the edges of the day when the light is gentler, the crowds thin out, and the landscape feels just a little closer to the version you imagined.

How Long To Spend at the Biei Christmas Tree

We spent about 25 minutes at the Biei Christmas Tree, including the walking to and from the car park.

Ready to Plan Your Trip to Hokkaido?

If you’re already in Biei, you can’t miss the nearby stunning Shirahige Waterfall, and the Aoiike Blue Pond. And if you’re planning your own Patchwork Hills Roadtrip, the Takushinkan Gallery and SSAW Coffee were some of our favorite stops. Hokkaido is one of my most favorite places on earth, and I can’t wait to share more with you!