Biei

A town of 9,343 people across 677.16 square kilometres, lying between Asahikawa and Furano below the Tokachidake mountain range. Its sloping hills are pyroclastic plateaus, built from ash thrown out by volcanic eruptions, and 70 per cent of the land is forestry against 15 per cent agriculture. The wide fields and hills have made it a backdrop for a great many Japanese commercials and television programmes, and the bright colours of those fields draw thousands of visitors in July and August. The Shinzo Maeda Photo Art Gallery is here, and the town has run the Biei Healthy Marathon since 1992.