Blue Pond in Hokkaido Lit Up for Winter Creating Scene out of Fantasy Movie

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:39 JST, October 26, 2025

The Biei Shirogane Blue Pond in Biei, Hokkaido, is being lit up for winter.

The blue surface of the pond and the area’s dead larch trees stand out in the darkness, turning the tourist destination into a scene from a fantasy movie.

The artificial pond was created as part of disaster prevention work on Mt. Tokachi and appears blue because the water contains aluminum, which scatters light.

The illumination event began in 2014 to promote winter tourism. White, blue and other colors are used to illuminate the pond from 13 surrounding locations.

The event runs through April 22 next year.