With rolling hills and lush farmland, it’s enough to make anyone stop for a moment and drink it all in, especially if you’ve just come from Tokyo or one of the country’s other urban cities.

Randomly pointing yourself down any road in the town will yield stunning vistas, but once you’re done wandering, you’ll want to check the map and make your way to the Blue Pond, which is breathtaking even by the already high standards of Biei.

During the five-minute stroll from the nearest parking lot to the body of water, you may wonder what’s so special about the Blue Pond. After all, don’t most lakes look blue?

Yes, they do…but not like this.

The color of the Blue Pond isn’t the vague blue of the reflected afternoon sky, but a much more dramatic hue.