Travel Guide
Toyako Hot Spring is a beautiful lakeside resort and is one of Hokkaido's three most impressive landscapes. It is along the shore of Lake Toya, just at the foot of Mount Usu-zan. The silky smooth spa waters are low in sodium content and beneficial for those suffering from chronic rheumatism and gastrointestinal disorders. You can try outdoor bath such as hand baths and foot baths everywhere in the town. Various events such as fireworks are held throughout the year. The picturesque lake was chosen as the location of the G8 summit which Japan hosted in July 2008. The leaders of the world's eight major industrialized democracies met at the Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & Spa.
It is said that Toyako Hot Spring emerged from the eruption of Mount Usu-zan in 1910. The hot spring was discovered in 1917. The volume of spring water is so great that it ranks third in Japan.
Lake Toya (Toyako) has full of nature which located at Shikotsu-Toya National Park in Hokkaido. It's a beautiful lake surrounded by Mount Yotei-zan, Mount Usu-zan and Showa Shinzan. The active volcano that stands proudly near the lake with white smoke rising above it is Mount Usu-zan. Mount Usu-zan is one of the most active volcanoes, with repeated eruptions on a cycle of between 30 and 50 years. Live craters and the remains produced by volcano eruption can be closely observed. It was registered in world GEO park for the first time in Japan in 2010.
Many people from around the world gathered at Lake Toya. Abundant in nature, it is an excellent place to exchange world view on the global environment and climate change.
Lake Toya is surrounded by wonderful hot springs such as Toyako Hot Spring, Sobeisu Hot Spring, Bankei Hot Spring, Kita-Yuzawa Hot Spring, Date Hot Spring, Toyoura Hot Spring, etc, among them Toyako Hot Spring attracts people the most.
Lake Toya is one of the two northernmost ice-free lakes in Japan, along with Lake Shikotsu. It never freezes, even in winter when the temperature falls quite drastically.
The beauty of the ice-free lake can therefore be admired anytime during the year. There are big and small four islands called Nakajima in the middle of the lake, and on it is the Toyako Forest Museum, which is a part of the sightseeing boat route. These islands have been designated as a wildlife sanctuary and are inhabited by Ezo deer and other wild animals.
Several large luxury hotels stand right alongside the lake, offering rooms and hot spring baths with beautiful views of the lake. Visitors who are not guests at the hotels can still use some of the baths during the day for a fee of 500 to 1000 yen.
The most popular activity for visitors at Lake Toya is to take a boat ride across the lake and visit the islands in the middle. Rowboats and paddleboats are also available. You’ll be surprised to find that most lakes don’t allow swimming, but if you really want to jump in, you can venture over to Takinoue Camp. It’s about 20 minutes around the lake, but there is a small beach where swimming is permitted. There is also cheap camping, and you can rent a tent if you don’t have one yourself. Trout and smelt fishing, canoeing, hiking, tennis, snowshoe trecking, horse trecking, mini-golf are very popular sports in and around the lake too.
Featuring a gigantic aerial photo spread on the floor, the Shikotsu-Toya National Park - Toyako Visitor Center introduces visitors to the nature observation information in the Lake Toya area, the volcanic history of Mount Usu-zan and the native flora and fauna therein.
Lake Toya, from the Ainu words for lake (to) and hill (ya), and is an almost round shaped caldera lake, extending up to about 11 km east and west, 9 km south and north. This ninth largest lake of the nation measured 50 km around, 70.7 square kilometers in area and 117 min mean water depth.
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| Whole view of the resort | Foot bath | Fireworks |
Travel Advice
Events
| Events in 2019 | ||
| Toyako Tourist Morning Market | People can buy the fresh specialty of Toyako Town at low price at the morning market which will be open from 6:00 am to 8:00 am. | late May to late Sep |
| Summer Festival | Visitors can enjoy Obon dances, Wadaiko, fireworks, bingo game, band performance, Jewish folk dance which visitors can join, etc. | Jul 20(Sat) |
| Toyako Hot Spring Summer Festival | Temple festival will be hold from 19:00 to 21:00. There will also be Obon dances from 19:30 to 20:30, August 1 to 15, which visitors can join. | Jul 26(Fri) to Aug 15(Wed) |
| Hokkaido Two-Day March | To enjoy actual scenery of Lake Toya on this walking tour featuring eight different tours. BBQ using wagyu (Japanese cow) or hot spring are included in some tours. | Sep 14(Sat) and 15(Sun) |
| Lake Toya Illumination Tunnel | There is a 70-meter long illumination tunnel around Lake Toya, creating a fairy tale world. Hokkaido wears the winter season so well, and the illumination is the perfect accompaniment for the Christmas season. Time: 19:00 to 22:00. | Nov 1(Fri) to Mar 3(Sun) |
| Events in 2020 | ||
| Lake Toya Illumination Street | Shopping street is decorated with more than 12,000 of little lanterns, to bring the resort fantastic nights. Time: from sunset to 22:00. | Everyday |
| Toyako Long-run Firework | Every night for 20 minutes starting at 8:45 pm, the Lake Toyako night sky becomes full of fireworks. The fireworks are moved while being launched, visitors can enjoy them from everywhere in the resort. | Jul 1(Wed) to Oct 31(Sat) |
Visit
| Address | Toyako Onsen, Toyako-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido | |
| Phone | 0142-75-2446 (Toyako Onsen Tourist Assosiation) | |
| Admission | Free | |
| Hours | Free time | |
| Closed | Open 7 Days a Week | |
| Duration | 1 hour | |
| Getting There | By Train 17 minutes ride by Donan Bus bound for Toyako Hot Spring from JR Toya Station on the JR Muroran Honsen to the final bus stop. By Car Take Hokkaido Expressway to Abuta Toyako exit and take National Highway route 37, 230 and Hokkaido Highway rout 2. It is approximately 13 kilometers from exit. |
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| Parking | Parking available | |
Attractions in Japan