Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [466]
Nearby, Usu-zan (; 729m), a taller and more formidable volcano, erupted quite violently in 2000, sending boulders thousands of feet into the air. The ash cloud that rained down on Tōya-ko was 2700m high, and volcanic bombs threatened to down circling news helicopters. For a closer look, there’s a ropeway (; 75-2401; return ¥1450; 8am-5pm) that runs from the base of Usu-zan (past the tourist shops) to a small viewing platform overlooking the steaming crater.
Near the ropeway, you should definitely check out the Mimatsu Masao Memorial Museum (75-2365; admission ¥300; 8am-5pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar), which is devoted to the local postmaster who actually purchased Shōwa-Shin-zan in 1946, and subsequently saved it from greedy mining companies. He spent years diagramming its growth using an ingenious method that has become a standard among volcanologists today. English signage in the museum is limited.
The Nishiyama Crater Promenade (admission free; closed 10 Nov-20 Apr) is a bit like walking through an area after a bomb blast. Steam hisses out of fissures while azure ponds bubble from boiling underground springs. The entrance is about 10 minutes by local bus (¥160) from the terminal in Tōya-ko Onsen; it costs ¥300 to park your own vehicle in the expansive car park. Note that the area is sometimes closed due to dangerous levels of toxic gas – if there is no one there when you arrive, you know why!
For something sedentary, check out the movie and the audiovisual exhibits at the very informative Volcanic Science Museum (75-2555; www.toyako-vc.jp/en/volcano; admission ¥600; 9am-5pm). It’s just two minutes on foot from the bus terminal, in front of the Kompira Promenade (admission free; closed 10 Nov-20 Apr), an area that was laid to waste by the eruption of Usu-zan in 2000.
The 37km perimeter of Tōya-ko is both beautiful and daunting – cruises (¥1320; 8am-4pm) out to Ōshima, the island in the middle of the lake, depart every hour from the pier in town. From mid-April to the end of October, you can grab a seat on the shoreline and watch the nightly fireworks (roughly 8.45-9pm). An evening fireworks-viewing cruise (¥1500) is a little more exciting; get your tickets at the pier.
Hotels line the waterfront, and many offer day-use access to their baths. Rates vary from ¥500 to ¥1000; bring your own towel to save on the hire fee.
SLEEPING
Naka-tōya Camping Ground (66-7022; camp sites per person from ¥330; May-Sep; ) On the eastern edge of the lake, several kilometres from Tōya-ko Onsen. Buses from Toya JR station are infrequent, stopping here only two or three times each day, which means that camping is only really an option for those with their own car. This is a basic camp site with grassy pitches and shared facilities with hot water. Camping equipment is available for rent here.
Shōwa-Shin-zan Youth Hostel (75-2283; fax 75-2872; 103 Soubetsu-onsen, Soubetsu-chō, Usu-gun; dm from ¥3150; ) With comfortable shared-room accommodation, a small onsite hot spring and spic-and-span cooking facilities, this is a great option for shoestring travellers in search of a social atmosphere. The hostel is on the road leading up to Usu-zan. By bus it’s eight minutes from Tōya-ko Onsen; get off at the Tozan-guchi stop, from where it’s just a one-minute walk. Bicycles are ¥1000 per day, and are a great way to cover ground around town.
Hotel Grand Tōya (; 75-2288; fax 75-3434; www.grandtoya.com; 144 Tōyako Onsen, Tōyako-chō, Abuta-gun; r per person incl 2 meals ¥7900; ) You can’t beat the location of this large, concrete resort hotel, smack bang in the middle of town. Japanese- and Western-style rooms have lake views, and there is a colourful, open-air bath, and a tiny cafe with al fresco seating in the summer months.
Windsor Hotel International (0120-29-0500;