Bihoro Pass: The Classic View of Lake Kussharo and Its Roadside Station

The Bihoro Pass is the classic viewpoint over Lake Kussharo, the largest caldera lake in Japan. From high on the south-west side you look down on the whole lake, with Nakajima Island in the middle and the mountains all around, and right beside the viewpoint is a roadside station (michi-no-eki, a public rest stop with toilets, food and local produce), Gurutto Panorama Bihoro Toge, with a shop, food and big windows over the lake. If you want one view that says eastern Hokkaido, this is it.

What is the Bihoro Pass like?

Lake Kussharo and Nakajima Island seen from the Bihoro Pass

The pass is on the border of Bihoro and Teshikaga, on Route 243, the road between Bihoro and Lake Kussharo.

Almost nothing blocks the view, and the lake, the sky and the mountains open up together. On a clear day you really feel how wide eastern Hokkaido is. On cloudy days it is still worth stopping: cloud shadows move across the water and light breaks through the gaps, so the view changes even in a few minutes.

Bihoro Pass, Tsubetsu Pass or Mt. Mokoto?

There are several viewpoints over Lake Kussharo. The Tsubetsu Pass is a quieter one, known for its sea of clouds, and the Mt. Mokoto observation car park is a little-known spot with few people. The Bihoro Pass is the easiest of the three: it has a roadside station, so if you are new to eastern Hokkaido and just want to see Lake Kussharo, start here.

The roadside station

Lake Kussharo seen through the windows of the Bihoro Pass roadside station, with a bag of curry bread and a fried snack on the counter

The roadside station next to the viewpoint is an easy place for a break. Its big windows look out over the lake, so you can enjoy the view even on a cold or windy day.

The shop sells light meals to eat in or take away. Age-imo, whole local potatoes deep-fried in a slightly sweet batter, and a soft-serve in hand while you look at the view is what everyone does here.

The age-imo fried potatoes and soft-serve stand at the Bihoro Pass roadside station

I especially recommend the curry bread from the bakery Komugi no Dorei ("slave to wheat"): crunchy outside and full of flavor inside. There is a toaster on the second-floor viewing floor, so you can have it hot and crisp.

The Komugi no Dorei bakery at the Bihoro Pass roadside station

Bags of curry bread from Komugi no Dorei

Komugi no Dorei's crunchy curry bread with the hills of the Bihoro Pass behind

Hours: 9:00–18:00 from April to October, 9:00–17:00 from November to March; closed over New Year.

How long to stay and when to go

Thirty minutes to an hour is about right: take in the view, then have something to eat at the roadside station, and an hour soon goes by. Daytime to late afternoon is the most reliable time for a clear view. Early mornings can be cloudy, but on a still morning you may see cloud lying over the lake.

Winter

In winter the road over the pass is often closed in snowstorms. Check road conditions before you go, and if you are in a rental car, have another route in mind.

Near the Bihoro Pass

The pass is the natural first stop on a loop around Lake Kussharo. From here it is about 30 minutes to Sunayu, where you can dig a hot spring foot bath in the sand, and Mt. Io and Kawayu Onsen are beyond.