Ken & Mary Tree

The Ken and Mary Tree is a poplar amid the wheat fields of Biei in Japan, rising roughly 30 meters (98 feet) above the flat landscape. The trunk stands alone on a gentle slope and contrasts sharply against the sky, while the surrounding fields stretch in regular parcels toward the horizon.

A television advertisement for the Nissan Skyline from 1972 featured two characters named Ken and Mary driving through Hokkaido and passing this tree. The footage spread quickly and made the poplar a reference point for travelers across the prefecture.

The solitary poplar carries its name from two advertising actors in the seventies and now appears on postcards and travel guides throughout the region. Visitors often stand by the roadside photographing the tree against the changing agricultural fields.

The poplar is roughly five minutes by car from Biei Station along the so-called Patchwork Road, where vehicles can stop at the narrow shoulder. During the summer months more visitors gather and parking spaces become scarce quickly.

The agricultural parcels around the tree change color several times a year, from fresh green in early summer through golden yellow in autumn to pure white in winter. These color shifts create a new frame for the dark silhouette of the poplar each time.

Location: Biei

GPS coordinates: 43.60911,142.46422

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28