Biei is the softer, hillier neighbour of Furano, set in central Hokkaido between Asahikawa and the Tokachi volcanic range. It is famous for rolling farm fields that look almost planned for photographers: wheat, potatoes, flowers, and windbreak trees laid out in long strips over low hills.
The town centre is small and practical, but the countryside around it is the point. North of town, the Patchwork Road area has observatories and lone trees made famous by old Japanese advertisements. South and east, Shikisai-no-Oka, Shirogane Blue Pond, and Shirahige Falls pull day-trippers from across Hokkaido.
Biei rewards slow travel more than box-ticking. Rent a bicycle if you are fit, take the seasonal sightseeing bus if you are not, or drive carefully on the narrow farm roads. July brings the strongest flower colour; winter trades that for snow, blue shadows, and the odd pleasure of seeing the same gentle hills stripped back to their shape.