Lake Toya is about one hour and thirty minutes by car from the New Chitose Airport or two hours by car from Sapporo. Toyako, as it is also known, an almost perfectly round lake formed in a caldera, sits between Toyako Town and Sobetsu.

Active volcanoes, such as Usuzan and Showa Shinzan, rise along the southern coast, and Nakajima, an island nearly in the center of the lake, affords spectacular views.

If you are going sightseeing, we recommend staying at one of the hot spring resorts in Toyako, where you can easily visit the surrounding area while taking in the ever-changing spectacular views of the lake. Here are some things you definitely should do in the south shore area!

First, go to Lake Toya. Board a pleasure boat that departs from the hot springs town. The cruise goes around Nakajima and lasts about 50 minutes.

The cruise departs from a pier located near the hot springs town. Among the several ships is the Espoir, which resembles a floating castle and which departs every hour on the hour.

As the ship proceeds along its course, it approaches Nakajima, which refers collectively to the four islands of Bentenjima, Kannonjima, Oshima, and Manjujima. Bentenjima, Kannonjima, and Manjujima are lined up in front of Oshima, the largest of the four, and as the ship turns to the right, it passes between Oshima and the three smaller islands.

All of the islands are uninhabited, giving them a silent air of mystery. Oshima is the only island that can be visited. For those interested in disembarking here, there is the Toyako Forest Museum and trekking through the island's forest is also possible.

This photo was taken on an overcast day, so Usuzan (Mt. Usu) and Showa Shinzan are not visible from the lake. However, on a fine day, both of these and Yoteizan (Mt. Yotei) in the distance are visible. Most days of the year, Mt. Yotei is not visible, so if you can see it, you are lucky!

Pleasure cruise around Nakajima
・Departure times: End of April - end of October, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (leaves every 30 minutes); November - early April, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (leaves every 60 minutes)
・Closed: Always open
・Fares: 1,420 yen for adults and 710 yen for elementary school students

After disembarking after the cruise, why not take a stroll along the lake shore? You’ll soon find that, actually, this is not your typical pathway! There are three reasons for that.

The first is that the area around here is a vantage point designated as Toyako Hakkei (the eight views of Lake Toya). It offers excellent lake views and Nakajima; when the weather is good, you can see Mt. Yotei.

The second is that as you walk along the path, you will come to a stretch paved with large round stones that extend for about 100 meters. These stones act like a foot massage as you walk over them, which has led to this stretch being called Tsubo Ashi Kenko-Dori, which loosely translates to Avenue of the Healthy Foot Massage. This is a unique and healthy addition to a hot springs area, especially when combined with foot baths and hot spring baths.

The third and final is the Toyako Gurutto Chokoku Koen (Sculpture Park around Lake Toya) bordering the shoreline. There are 58 sculptures placed around the 43-kilometer circumference of the lake!

Many of the works are located in the area between the Toyako hot springs town and the Mount Usu Eruption Memorial Park. The combination of natural scenery and art against the background of the lake and woods is the perfect spot for taking memorable photos! Perfect for sharing on your social network of choice!

Two large works, Tsuki no Hikari (Moon Light) by Igor Mitoraj and Muse by Nobuyuki Akechi in the Mount Usu Eruption Memorial Park, are especially popular for their powerful impact.

The views from the park are magnificent and there are places where you can go down to the edge of the lake and leisurely stroll along the shore lapped by gentle waves.

The perfect place to take a break. Walking about 15 minutes from the Usu Eruption Memorial Park towards the hot springs town, you will see the Wakasaimo Honpo Doya Lake Honten. Here you can sample many kinds of sweets that are also perfect for souvenirs!

The shop takes its name from the Wakasaimo confection that looks like a potato. The shop was established in 1930 and is a well-loved confectionery representative of Hokkaido.

An interesting fact is that the confectioneries are not made with imo (potatoes) even though the name of the shop literally means Wakasa Potato.

Ofukumame (large, dried beans) grown in the lands around Lake Toya are the main ingredient of the an (bean paste) in which Gagome konbu (kelp), taken from the southern part of Hokkaido and noted for its strong viscosity, is minutely cut up and mixed into the an, before being basted with an egg and soy sauce batter and then finally baked.

The founder of the company, Mr. Hakosu Wakasa, created this confection. Unable to get sweet potatoes in Hokkaido, he wondered if there was not some way to make a sweet like a roasted potato, and that gave him the idea for creating this sweet, which he originally sold from a handcart that he pulled. There is a picture depicting that on the package.

Then there is Imoten, a unique sweet fried in the same batter used for Wakasaimo. It is only offered at the main shop and the Noboribetsu shop. Crispy and fragrant, it has a different flavor than Wakasaimo. Compare the difference!

Also, another product sold only at the main shop is Jagakki Soft, ice cream combined with Hokkaido Jagakki, a popular cookie made from potatoes. This novel product has a light potato flavor and will melt in your mouth.

You can try any of these at the sweets corner in the shop. This is a special seating area where you can enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Toya. You can really spend a deliciously “sweet time” here.

After you return to your Lake Toya hotel, enjoy a hot spring soak and dinner, and then the fireworks afterward.

The Toyako Long-Run Fireworks is staged every evening each year from the end of April to the end of October in the Toyako hot springs area.

It originally was an event planned for three months in 1982 to draw back visitors who had stayed away because of the eruption of Usuzan, but the event has since grown so that now it is held for six months of the year.

You can enjoy the 20-minute-long display in many ways: walking along the lake shore, from your room in the inn or hot spring, and even by taking a night cruise on the Hanabi Kansho-sen (fireworks viewing cruise) on one of the pleasure boats mentioned earlier. This boat follows the boat from which the fireworks are set off, enabling you to enjoy them up close.

Finally we would like to introduce the Silo Observatory located a 15-minute car ride from the hot springs town. One can get a different view of Lake Toya from this height and angle than from the hot springs area. The observatory has a restaurant and gift shop and it is also possible to book helicopter tours here.

An observation deck was made in the fall of 2016 and in May 2017, Cafe Balher specializing in takeout items was added as an annex.

Bokka Soft, a specially made ice cream produced in Date City, a town neighboring Toyako Town, is especially recommended. Herb salts - mixtures of salt, sage, lemon grass and other herbs grown at affiliated shops - can be used as toppings for the ice cream!

This sweet, creamy soft ice cream has a flavor popular with adults.

The above are some of the great places to visit in the southeast corner of Lake Toya. Which would you like to visit first? We hope you will come and spend a night or more and enjoy relaxing in this heart of nature!

* All prices mentioned in this article are tax included.

Written by:Fumi