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Shikotsu-Toya National Park is the site of two large lakes, Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya, as well as an active volcano belt; consisting of Mt. Yotei, Mt. Usu, Mt. Showa-shinzan, and the newly formed Mt. Tarumae; where distinctive alpine vistas are on display.
Rusutsu Ski Resort is located close to Toyako "Lake Toya" and is just on the other side of Mount Yotei from Niseko. Lake Toya is the northernmost lake in Japan that never ices, and the second most transparent lake in the country. |
Mount Yotei
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Nakajima Island, the island in the middle of the Lake Toya, houses the Toya Lake Forest Museum. The Toya Lake’s biggest town, Toyako is located on its western shore.
The area offers Hot Springs, as well as many fishing, camping and hiking opportunities. Donan Bus operates buses between Lake Toya and Sapporo which stop in Rusutsu along the way. The travel time between Lake Toya and Rusutsu is about 45 minutes, and reservations are required. |
Lake Toya & Nakajima Island
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Usu-zan "Mount Usu" is a volcano which has erupted four times in the past 100 years. Its most recent eruption occurred in the year 2000.
A ropeway on Mount Usu takes visitors to viewing platforms overlooking Showa-shinzan. A short walk away from a second observation deck, there are beautiful views of the Mount Usu's large crater and the ocean. Toyako Onsen, located at the foot of Mount Usu is a touristy hot spring resort town alongside the shore of Lake Toya. Many luxury hotels close to the lake offer hot spring baths with beautiful views of the lake. During the day, visitors who are not guests at the hotel also can use some of the baths for a fee. |
Toyako Onsen
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Lake Shikotsu, a caldera lake surrounded by active volcanoes with 44 kilometers in diameter is famous for the clarity of its water. On the western shores alongside the lake there is a small touristy town called Shikotsu Kohan with number of lodgings and a visitor center.
Here, visitors can rent bicycles to enjoy the natural surroundings. From late April to early November, sightseeing cruise of the lake in glass bottomed boats are offered. New Chitose Airport is quite close to Shikotsu and there are 4-6 buses a day to Shikotsuko Kohan "takes 1 hour", which also stop at Chitose Station along the way. |
Lake Shikotsu & Mt. Monbetsu
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As in much of Hokkaido, buses are infrequent, so your own wheels or rent a car is recommended for exploring the Shikotsuko region. The lake is an hour drive from Lake Toya, a 40 minutes drive from Shin-Chitose Airport, and 80 minutes drive from Sapporo.
6 kilometers inland from Noboribetsu City in the river valley is the smaller town of Noboribetsu Onsen. Noboribetsu Onsen offers many types of hot spring water which surfaces in the Jigokudani "Hell Valley" just above the town. Noboribetsu Onsen is one of many well-known resorts in Japan, with many hotels and ryokan, and is the largest "hot spring town" in Hokkaido. It is also known for its bear park. |
Noboribetsu Onsen
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There is one round trip direct bus per day from Sapporo Statiion to Noboribetsu Onsen operated by Donan Bus "takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes". Tickets can be purchased at Sapporo Station.
Limited Express trains journey between Sapporo and Noboribetsu take about 1 hour, and the local trains twice as long. All trains between Sapporo and Noboribetsu are fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass and Hokkaido Rail Pass. |
Jigokudani
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Muslim Friendly AccommodationHere you can search for airline tickets and hotels worldwide. The Jetradar search engine compare ticket prices provided by over 200 booking agencies.
So far there is no Muslim friendly hotel in the area. The Hotellook search engine can help you for random hotel reservation in the area. It compares prices from 70 hotel booking services. Each will show you the lowest prices available at the time. Fill out the details and press search. You can also search with the Hotel Map below which shows hotel prices and location on the map. |
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There are Vacation Rentals in the area which suit travelers who prefer to rent a living space, especially for larger groups, families or those who seek a more local, everyday life experience. If you are traveling light and looking for a more economical place to stay Hostels are a good option.
If you would like to rent a car use the search engine here and book a car in advance. Fill out the details; pickup and drop-off places, date and time, and press search. You will be redirected to Rental Cars website where a list of available cars will be shown to you to choose from. |
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Shikotsu-Toya National Park - Hokkaido Prefecture
