In 2013, Takeshi Kaneshiro shot a commercial for EVA Air, which made an eggplant tree in Chihshang Township on the Taitung Line burst into popularity. The name Takeshi Kaneshiro has spread like wildfire. In Biei, Hokkaido, which is famous for its tree scenery, 40 years ago, there was also a tree with The famous tree in TV commercials is the Ken & Mary Tree on the Patchwork Road. Compared with the Kinjo Takeshi that fell due to a typhoon in 2014, or the philosophical tree that was torn down due to decay in 2016, Ken & Mary can Say it is a famous tree that has been famous for 40 years and has stood still.
Ken & Mary Tree Profile
Ken & Mary Tree (ケンとメリーの木) is a white poplar tree whose name comes from the 1972 Nissan Motor’s "Love のスカイライン (Horizon of Love)" TV series commercials. The whole series has 16 commercials for men and women. The protagonists' names are Ken and Mary. This tree appeared in the 15th part. In fact, it only appeared for a few seconds, but it has become famous for more than 40 years.
Patchwork road to Biei
Ken & Mary Tree is located in Biei's Patchwork Road (パッチワークの路) area. If you drive, you can visit the main attractions of Patchwork Road in half a day, including: Kitaishinooka Observation Park, Mild Seven Hill, Seven Star wood, parent-child wood, Ken&Mary wood, etc., while the homestay next to Ken & Mary Tree is a rare spot that offers short breaks on the Patchwork Road. .
When traveling by renting a car in Hokkaido, just enter the MapCode directly into the GPS navigation system. Ken&Mary’s MapCode is approximately 389 071 727. The MapCode circulated on the Internet may have a little difference in the last three digits.In addition, there is a homestay called Pension Ken and Mary (ペンションケンとメリー) beside the tree, so it is also possible to enter the phone number of the homestay (166-92-4194).
▲ A map of scenic spots along the Biei Patchwork Route.
B&Bs offering rest and lodging beside the tree: Pension Ken and Mary.ペンションケンとメリー
- Reservation:Agoda | Booking.com | HotelsCombined
- 地址：〒071-0216 北海道上川郡美瑛町大久保協生．電話：+81 166-92-4194
- Star rating: ★.Opening year: 1997.Year of renovation: 2007.Number of rooms: 5.Floor: 2
The Ken & Mary Tree, which has been famous for 40 years, has a small parking lot next to it to avoid common problems that interfere with farmers' work and rest and destroy farmland.There is a Pension Ken and Mary B&B opened next to the big tree. Since its opening in 1997, there is a Tree Terrace Cafe next to it. There is a small garden inside. As long as you spend in the shop, you can enter the courtyard to walk and rest.
In the courtyard of the coffee shop, there are tables, chairs, swings and other equipment. There are several small showrooms, which not only display the physical vehicles of Nissan's advertisements of the year, but also have small TVs that show the television advertisements and other photos of the year. For other information, there is a small flower garden in the garden, and you can also overlook the beautiful scenery behind. The entire garden is not worth a special trip here, but when visiting the entire patchwork road, it is very suitable as a rest place.
▲ The cafe attached to the homestay is called Tree Terrace Cafe.
▲▼ After we purchase the ice cream and cut ice, we can enter the venue for rest and visit.
▲ The scenery that can be seen from the garden is more expansive and beautiful.
▲ Briefly introduce the origin of Ken & Mary Tree.
▲ There are actually many poplar trees in this place, not just the Ken & Mary Tree.
▲ Related peripheral products of TV commercial vehicles in those years.
▲ It was the 15th commercial that was shown on TV. The photo on the wall was in the commercial. It only appeared for a few seconds but was impressive.
▲ Actually, this car is the protagonist of the commercial!
▲ After a short break in the garden, prepare to drive to the next attraction on the Patchwork Road!
Video appreciation
From 1972 to 1974, Nissan filmed a total of 16 SkyLine TV commercials titled "Love no Sukai Line (Horizon of Love)". The commercial scenes were spread all over Japan, and Ken & Mary Tree next to National Highway No. 237 in Biei, Hokkaido, It appeared in the fifteenth work. In the background of the time and space of the 15s, this kind of hero and heroine drove the wind-driven car and talked about pure love in the beautiful scenery, which was quite attractive in the market.
Ken & Mary was later played by many pairs of actors and actresses. The original first-generation actor in the advertisement was played by Jimmy Zinnai as Ken and Diane Krey as Mary. After Zinnai passed away in a motorcycle accident, Krey then moved to the United States to become a high school teacher. There are many sightseeing business opportunities and stories derived from TV commercials on the Internet. If you are interested, you can search further.
◎ Ken and Mary Tree.ケンとメリーの木
– Address: 〒071-0200 Okubo, Biei-cho, Kamigawa-gun, Hokkaido
– MapCode: 389 071 727
