# Michi-no-Eki Biei Shirogane Birke

> A small station in the birch woods of Shirogane, a couple of minutes' drive from the Blue Pond. Opened in 2018, it has a burger shop using Biei-grown wheat, an outdoor-gear corner and the area's tourist information.

- Prefecture: Hokkaido
- Type: Michi no eki
- Address: Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
- Hours note: Shop hours change with the season: longest in June to August, shortest (late morning to late afternoon) from December to February. Closed around New Year. Parking and toilets are available outside shop hours.
- Official site: https://hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/16028/

Birke is German for birch, the town tree of Biei, and the station sits among them on the road up to Shirogane Onsen. It opened in May 2018 in what used to be the Shirogane forest information center. Most visitors come because the Blue Pond is a short drive away and the parking here is far easier than at the pond itself on a busy day.

Between the Bread makes burgers with buns from Biei wheat; the Biei mochi-pork burger is the one people mention. Next door you can get soft-serve, and the shop leans hard into the Blue Pond color scheme with blue sweets and goods. There is also a THE NORTH FACE corner, and shower rooms for campers.

Winter is quieter. Shop hours shrink to late morning through late afternoon from December to February, and the station closes over New Year. Take it slowly on the hill road to Shirogane after snowfall.

---
Source: Michi-no-Eki Biei Shirogane Birke — Japan Voyage