Bihoro, Mountain town in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Japan
Bihoro is a town in Okhotsk Subprefecture in eastern Hokkaido, spreading across about 438 square kilometers and surrounded by mountains and forests. The proximity to Lake Kussharo shapes the landscape of this region.
The settlement grew from village status to a town in 1923, incorporating parts of Tsubetsu and Memanbetsu villages into its territory. These administrative changes reflected how communities developed in this mountainous region.
The name Bihoro comes from the Ainu word piporo, honoring the indigenous people of this water-rich region in northern Japan. You can feel this connection to the land when you visit local sites and natural areas.
Memanbetsu Airport offers direct access to this town, while the Japan Railways network connects it to other places in Hokkaido. A rental car makes it easy to explore the surrounding mountains and the lake.
The Bihoro Pass viewpoint sits at 525 meters elevation and reveals Lake Kussharo, the Shiretoko Mountain Range, and the active Mt. Io volcano all at once. This vantage point is unusual for showing three major landscape features in a single view.
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