Senbo Pass: The View of the Tokachi Mountains Over the Hills of Biei

By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published
Senbo Pass: The View of the Tokachi Mountains Over the Hills of Biei

Quick answers

  • The hills of Biei with Mt. Biei-Fuji, Mt. Biei and Mt. Tokachi behind
  • One of the Eight Views of Kamifurano; free car park for about 10 cars, with toilets
  • A quiet back road between Furano and Biei that avoids the main road
  • About an hour from Asahikawa, 2.5 hours from Sapporo

Senbo Pass is a small hilltop park with a car park in Kamifurano, one of the town's eight official scenic spots (the Eight Views of Kamifurano). In front of you the hills of Biei and Furano roll away, and behind them, from left to right, stand Mt. Biei-Fuji, Mt. Biei and Mt. Tokachi. The car park is free, and the pass is also a quiet back road between Furano and Biei that avoids the summer traffic on the main road.

The view from Senbo Pass

The park at Senbo Pass with a flower bed, benches and the Eight Views of Kamifurano sign, mountains beyond

From the top of the pass, the hills of Biei spread out in front of you, with the Tokachi range of volcanoes along the skyline: Mt. Biei-Fuji, Mt. Biei and Mt. Tokachi, from left to right.

The town of Kamifurano, farmland and the Tokachi mountains, their tops in cloud, seen from Senbo Pass

How to get to Senbo Pass

From Asahikawa: about an hour. Take Route 237 toward Biei and Furano, go through Biei, and as you enter Kamifurano turn right onto Prefectural Road 581 (at the Kannon statue) and climb the hill to the pass.

From Sapporo: about two and a half hours. Take Route 12 or the Do-o Expressway to Iwamizawa or Mikasa, then cross the mountains toward Furano on Prefectural Road 116, Route 452 and Prefectural Road 135; this stretch crosses a mountain pass, so drive carefully. Near Furano, go north on Prefectural Road 759 for about 7 kilometers and turn right for Senbo Pass.

There is a free car park for about 10 cars, with toilets (closed in winter), a gazebo and a small observation deck.

A back road around the crowds

Senbo Pass is also a little-known shortcut between Furano and Biei that keeps you off the crowded main road. From here you can drive on roads without traffic lights, with the Tokachi range in view, toward the Blue Pond and Shikisai no Oka. My Biei and Furano guide uses Senbo Pass in a one-day loop that avoids the summer traffic.

Biei and Furano by Car: A Local's Route Around the Summer CrowdsA local's driving loop through Biei and Furano that avoids the summer traffic on Route 237, from Asahikawa or as a day trip from Sapporo: Farm Tomita, the Blue Pond, Tokachidake and the hills of Biei.

Near Senbo Pass

  • Farm Tomita, Furano's famous lavender farm
  • The Jet Coaster Road, another of the Eight Views of Kamifurano, a straight road that dips over the hills
  • Shikisai no Oka, the hillside of striped flower beds
Farm Tomita: When the Lavender Blooms, Parking and Getting ThereA local's guide to Farm Tomita in Furano: when the lavender peaks, lavender soft-serve, the summer traffic, and how to get there by car from Sapporo or Asahikawa. The Jet Coaster Road in Kamifurano: Where to Enter for the Best ViewA local's guide to the Jet Coaster Road in Kamifurano, the straight road that dips over the hills like a roller coaster: where to turn off Route 237 for the best view, parking, and what is nearby.

FAQ about Senbo Pass

Q1. What can you see from Senbo Pass?

The hills of Biei and Furano, with Mt. Biei-Fuji, Mt. Biei and Mt. Tokachi behind them.

Q2. Is there parking at Senbo Pass?

Yes, a free car park for about 10 cars.

Q3. How far is Senbo Pass from Asahikawa?

About an hour by car.