Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

The three of us on this trip were Christy Ann from Canada, Glenn from Australia, and Jeremy from the U.S. We first traveled from Sapporo to JR Toya Station, and then headed for Toyako Onsen Onsen by bus. We first took the JR train from Sapporo to Toya Station, and then took a bus to Toyako Onsen Hot Springs.

After getting off the bus at Toyako Onsen Station, we headed to the Toyako Visitor Center. We learned about the nature around Lake Toya and confirmed our schedule for this trip using the map in the center. We also visited the adjacent “Volcano Science Museum” to learn more about the history of the eruption of Mt.Usu.

For dinner, at Jeremy's request, we went to Guten Tag, an izakaya located along the lakeside of Lake Toya. He had been here before and “the mother was friendly and the food was very good,” he said, so he immediately ordered the fried potatoes he had then. They also enjoyed not only the food but also the interaction that only izakaya can provide, such as listening to the story of how the mother started running the restaurant by herself and telling the American tourist seated next to her about recommended sightseeing spots in Hokkaido and Japan.

On the first day, we stayed at “Toyako Bansekaku Hotel Lakesite Terrace”. It is a long-established ryokan in Lake Toya, which boasts the largest number of hotels and ryokans in Hokkaido, and the view of Lake Toya from the large bath on the 8th floor is breathtaking. Furthermore, a fireworks display is held every day for six months starting in April at Lake Toya, and on this day, the fireworks display will start at 8:45 pm. The three of us enjoyed the 20-minute show that colored the autumn night sky from our special seats right outside the hotel on the first floor.

On the second day, leave the hotel at 8:30 a.m. for Mt. The gondola, which was renewed in 2010, has a larger window that makes you feel as if you are one with the scenery as you walk through the air. From the observation platform at the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the area, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Geopark. Visitors were able to more clearly recognize the topographic changes caused by volcanic activity, such as Showa Shinzan and Eruption Bay, by viewing the area from above, and were able to deepen their learning about the Geopark.

From 10:00 a.m., we will join a guide from “Sobetsu Outdoor Network” for a slow cycling tour. We will visit orchards and farms at the foot of the volcano.

The first place we visited was “Daisaku Farm. Mr. Daisaku Kimura taught us how to harvest tomatoes and taros. Daisaku Farm grows more than 15 varieties of tomatoes, but on this day we were able to harvest three varieties: Aiko Snack, Tomato Berry, and Daltari. The fresh and sweet dalutaries were especially popular, and all three participants couldn't stop picking and tasting them.

After the harvest, we had a chance to try our hand at making rice balls. Participants wrapped “Nanatsuboshi” rice balls produced at Daisaku Farm in food grade plastic wrap and made them into onigiri. In addition to the onigiri, the three enjoyed lunch with tomatoes they had harvested and boiled taros made from freshly harvested taro. The taste of the freshly harvested taro was exceptional.

After leaving Daisaku Farm, the three cycled back to Takashina Fruit Farm, an 8-hectare orchard that grows apples, grapes, cherries, prunes, and other fruits, with 32 varieties of grapes alone. They learned how to identify ripe apples as they walked through the orchard, and at the end of the tour, they compared the harvested Shinano Sweet and Gunma Meigetsu apples. Christy Ann was surprised at how different the apples tasted, even though they were the same.

The second night's lodging is at the Lake Toya Tsuruga Resort Hikari no Uta. The inn is popular for its 12 different types of guest rooms and its French course and Japanese kaiseki meals that feature ingredients unique to the area, which has been blessed by the volcano. This time, Jeremy and Christy Ann experienced a guest room with an outdoor hot spring bath. For dinner, they enjoyed a French course meal.

On the third day, we will take a guided tour to learn about the volcanic activities of Mt. We will meet up with Rie Egawa, a guide from Sotoasobu and a Hokkaido AT guide, at the hotel and tour the remains of the 2000 eruption of Mt. In the morning, we viewed the crater that formed around Mt. Kompira from the observatory, and then walked along the walking trail to see the crater from a closer distance.

It was exactly 12:00 p.m. when we passed through the walking path at the foot of Mt. After having lunch in a lunch box specially prepared for us by “SUNNY SIDE UP CAFE” in the forest of Lake Toya, we went to the Nishiyama crater walking trail in the afternoon. From here, with special permission, we went into the off-limits area, which is normally inaccessible. While we felt the horror of the disaster from the fresh scars, we also felt the strength of nature from the grass growing through the cracks in the road and the uplifted earth. Although we walked all the way, we learned so much that we did not feel tired.

After the tour, we went to “Kimagurena Shokudou  Sakkuru” in Toyako Town. This farm restaurant offers a 20-course menu of locally grown vegetables. Although the volume of food was a little too much for Glen, who is a large man, all three were very satisfied with the warm hospitality and the gentle taste of nature that conveyed the personality of the owner.

On the third day, you will stay at Pension Ohno, which is located by the lakeside of Lake Toya. The large bath is filled with lava rocks from Mt. Usu, which are rich in minerals, and will help you recover from your fatigue. The breakfast is also hearty, so you will feel energized from the morning.

On the last day, we wake up a little early to visit the private forest “Forest in Toya”. We joined Mr. Egawa of “Sotoasobu” who helped us on our guided tour the day before and walked deep into the forest. The Toya Forest is a 70-hectare mountain that is gradually developed each year, and visitors can walk up to 300 meters from the entrance. Unfortunately, the weather was drizzly that day, but we enjoyed a relaxing time lying down in the forest, drinking wild herb tea, and feeling nature with all our being.

Return from “Forest in Toya” and board a bus at the bus stop in front of “Pension Ohno”. We will return to Sapporo from Toya Station. Lake Toya and Mt. Usu were the first places in Japan to be recognized as a World Geopark, and although they did not say it out loud, they must have felt the importance of the volcano and the lessons for the future through their four-day and three-night trip.