Lake Toya
洞爺湖42°34′ N 140°49′ EOnsen townPop. 7,743South
Toyako Onsen lines the south shore of a round caldera lake under the active Usu volcano, about an hour from Rusutsu.
Photo by Cuvii on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay at Lake Toya for a big onsen hotel with a lake view and a rest day, within reach of Rusutsu. It suits couples and families breaking up the drive between Niseko and the airport.
The name
to-ya
トー・ヤThe lakeshore
ainu
To-ya (lake, shore) was a common noun for the land along a lake, used for a settlement on the north shore. Japanese settlers wrote it 洞爺 and the word became the lake's name. The Ainu usually called the lake simply to (the lake) or kimun-to (the lake in the mountains). Locals still call the original north-shore Toya 'Muko-Toya' to tell it apart from Toyako Onsen on the south shore. The population figure is for Toyako town.
SourceEat · 食べる
Boyotei望羊蹄cafe¥¥
An old yōshoku restaurant with a Showa-era dining room and a view toward Yotei. Order the hamburg steak set. Open 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–19:30.
Meshidokoro Matsumaeyaめしどころ松前屋sushi¥¥
A local favourite for seasonal seafood. The scallop bowl costs about ¥1,650. Open 12:00–15:00 and 17:30–21:00.
Sushidokoro Aikawa寿し処 あい川sushi¥¥
Aikawa serves sushi from Funka Bay fish at fair prices in the evening from 16:00 to 23:00.
Sendoan和食レストラン仙堂庵fine¥¥
A Japanese restaurant with lake views. The Funka Bay scallop chawanmushi set is about ¥1,300. Open 11:00–19:00.
Hamburger & Bar HyduneHAMBURGER＆BAR HYDUNEcafe¥
Burgers with buns toasted on a big griddle, Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 until they sell out.
othree / Flickr · CC BY 2.0 Lake Hill Farmレークヒル・ファームcafe¥
A farm in Hanawa above the lake makes this gelato, with Yotei in view on a clear day. Open from 9:00.
Drink · 飲む
Sangaku Kissacoffee
A small café in the onsen town where the owner sources and roasts the beans. Open 10:00–16:00.
Yumoa-teibar
An izakaya in the Grand Village Toya Daiwa Ryokan annex with dishes made from local produce. Reservations needed.
Do · 遊ぶ
663highland / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5 Usuzan Ropewaysight
A ropeway up Mt. Usu that runs through winter, with views into the craters and across the lake to Yotei.
Illumination Tunnelwalk
A tunnel of lights runs through the onsen town from 1 November 2026 to 27 April 2027. It is lit 17:00–22:00 until the end of February and 18:00–22:00 after that.
Toyako Long Run Fireworksculture
Fireworks go up over the lake for twenty minutes every night at 20:45, from late April to 31 October only. Plan an autumn or spring trip if you want to see them.
Lake Toya is a near-perfect circle of water about ten kilometres across, with a forested island in the middle and the crumpled, steaming flank of Mt. Usu on its southern shore. Usu last erupted in 2000, and the craters from that eruption sit just above the onsen town. Toyako Onsen itself is a strip of big hotels along the water. In winter it is quiet and a little faded. The hotels look north across the lake to a Yotei that seems close enough to touch, and the big baths are rarely crowded.
Riders use it as a rest day between Niseko and Sapporo, or as a cheaper base for Rusutsu, which is about forty minutes up the road. Boyotei is a Showa-era yōshoku house whose name means 'looking at Yotei', and the hamburg steak set is the order. Matsumaeya does scallop bowls at lunch and dinner. The town's famous fireworks run from late April to October. In winter an illumination tunnel lights the onsen streets.
Quick answers about Lake Toyaよくある質問
What does the name Lake Toya mean?
Lake Toya comes from the local name to-ya, meaning the lakeshore. To-ya (lake, shore) was a common noun for the land along a lake, used for a settlement on the north shore. Japanese settlers wrote it 洞爺 and the word became the lake's name. The Ainu usually called the lake simply to (the lake) or kimun-to (the lake in the mountains). Locals still call the original north-shore Toya 'Muko-Toya' to tell it apart from Toyako Onsen on the south shore. The population figure is for Toyako town.
Is Lake Toya a good place to stay?
Stay at Lake Toya for a big onsen hotel with a lake view and a rest day, within reach of Rusutsu. It suits couples and families breaking up the drive between Niseko and the airport.
How do you get to Lake Toya?
Limited express trains reach JR Toya Station from New Chitose Airport via Minami-Chitose in about 90 minutes, and Donan Bus or taxis cover the last stretch to Toyako Onsen. The Hokkaido Resort Liner runs to the onsen town in winter. Driving from Sapporo over Nakayama Pass on Route 230 takes about 2 hr 10 min.
Ride from Lake Toya近くの山
Stay in Lake Toya宿
Hot springs nearby温泉
Paid links
Line up the trip around Lake Toya
Some of these links pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and keeps the guide independent. How the links work