洞爷湖

Introduction

Lake Tōya, in southwestern Hokkaidō, Japan, is a caldera lake formed when the ground collapsed after eruptions about 110,000 years ago. Almost circular, it covers roughly 70.7 sq km, reaches 180 m deep, and holds four volcanic islands led by Nakajima; its water never freezes, making it one of Japan's northernmost ice-free lakes. Mt Usu and Shōwa-shinzan on the southern shore remain active, and in 2009 the area was inscribed as the Tōya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, where preserved disaster sites and geology trails form an unusual learning route. Hot-spring hotels line the shore with open-air baths facing lake and mountains, and from late April through October fireworks are launched from boats every single night — a rare continuous display in Japan. The 2008 G8 summit held here brought the lake international attention, and it remains the most developed lakeside hot-spring resort in central Hokkaidō.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info