National Parks · Hokkaido
Shikotsu-Toya National Park
支笏洞爺国立公園しこつとうやこくりつこうえんShikotsu-Tōya Kokuritsu KōenVolcanoes in every form, an hour from Sapporo
Shikotsu-Toya National Park in south-western Hokkaido is a showcase of living volcanoes: two great caldera lakes, the conical Yōtei-zan, the restless Usu-zan and Shōwa-shinzan, and hot-spring towns such as Noboribetsu and Jōzankei. Designated in 1949, it lies within easy reach of Sapporo and New Chitose Airport.
Overview
Shikotsu-Toya covers the volcanic belt of south-western Hokkaido between Sapporo, the Pacific coast at Noboribetsu and the Niseko area. Almost every form of volcano can be seen within it: caldera lakes (Shikotsu and Tōya), a classic stratovolcano (Yōtei-zan, the 'Ezo Fuji'), lava domes (Tarumae-zan, Shōwa-shinzan), an active volcano with a history of frequent eruptions (Usu-zan) and geothermal valleys (Noboribetsu's Jigokudani).
The park was designated in 1949 and is one of the most visited in Hokkaido, owing to its proximity to Sapporo and New Chitose Airport. Its hot-spring resorts, Noboribetsu, Jōzankei and Tōyako, are among the best known in Japan, and Lake Tōya hosted the G8 summit in 2008.
Around Lake Tōya and Usu-zan, the landscape shows how people live with a volcano: ruined buildings and roads from the eruptions of 1977 and 2000 have been preserved as outdoor museums, and the area in 2009 became one of the first Global Geoparks in Japan.
Landscape and formation
Lake Tōya fills a caldera about 10 km across, formed by a huge eruption some 110,000 years ago; the island Naka-jima in its centre is a group of later lava domes. Usu-zan grew on the southern rim and has erupted repeatedly since 1663, building lava domes and cryptodomes that push up the ground before breaking through. Shōwa-shinzan, which appeared during the Second World War, is the most famous of them.
Lake Shikotsu occupies a caldera formed around 40,000 years ago, whose pyroclastic flows covered much of the plain where New Chitose Airport stands today. Three volcanoes grew on its rim: Eniwa-dake to the north, and Fuppushi-dake and Tarumae-zan to the south; Tarumae-zan is crowned by a lava dome that rose in 1909. Yōtei-zan, a symmetrical stratovolcano of 1,898 m, stands isolated in the west, while Noboribetsu and Jōzankei are hot-spring fields fed by volcanic heat.
Highlights
- 支笏湖Shikotsu-ko
Japan's second-deepest lake and northernmost ice-free lake, famed for its clear water and kokanee salmon.
- 洞爺湖Tōya-ko
A round caldera lake with the Naka-jima islands in its centre and Usu-zan on its southern shore.
- 羊蹄山Yōtei-zan
The 1,898 m 'Ezo Fuji', a near-perfect cone above the Niseko and Kutchan plains, with a summit crater and alpine flora.
Usu-zan and Shōwa-shinzan
有珠山・昭和新山Usu-zan, Shōwa-shinzanAn active volcano with a ropeway to its crater rim, and the red lava dome that rose from farmland in 1943–45.
Noboribetsu Jigokudani
登別地獄谷Noboribetsu JigokudaniA steaming explosion crater above the hot-spring town of Noboribetsu, with boardwalks among fumaroles and boiling springs.
Tarumae-zan
樽前山Tarumae-sanAn active volcano on the south shore of Lake Shikotsu, with a lava dome that emerged in 1909 and easy hiking from the 7th station.
Nature
Ecology
Forests of mixed conifers and broadleaf trees cover most of the park, with Sakhalin fir, Yezo spruce, Mongolian oak and maples. Young volcanic ground provides a laboratory for plant succession: on Usu-zan and Tarumae-zan, pioneer plants recolonise bare ash and pumice after each eruption.
Yōtei-zan's isolated summit holds an alpine flora with local specialities, while the lakes support kokanee salmon, introduced into Lake Shikotsu from Lake Akan in the 1890s and now a local delicacy. Whooper swans winter on the lakes, and Ezo salamanders breed in forest ponds.
Flora
Yōtei-zan alpine flora
The summit crater and slopes carry alpine plants including Ezo-kozakura primrose and dwarf pine, isolated from other high mountains.
Pioneer vegetation on Tarumae-zan
Iwa-bukuro (a penstemon) and other pioneers colonise the pumice fields around the summit dome.
Mixed forest
Sakhalin fir, Yezo spruce, Mongolian oak and maples, with fine autumn colour around the lakes and the Orofure Pass.
Fauna
Kokanee salmon
ヒメマスhimemasuIntroduced to Lake Shikotsu in the 1890s; known locally as chippu.
Whooper swan
オオハクチョウōhakuchōWinters on Lake Tōya and other ice-free waters in the park.
Ezo salamander
エゾサンショウウオEzo-sanshōuoA Hokkaido endemic that breeds in ponds and slow streams in the forest.
Brown bear and Ezo red fox
Bears live in the more remote forests; foxes are common around the lakes and roads.
Culture
The area's names are Ainu: Shikotsu comes from shikot, 'large hollow', Tōya from to-ya, 'lakeshore', and Noboribetsu from nupur-pet, 'cloudy river'. Ainu communities lived by the lakes and rivers; Usu was one of the larger settlements, and the Usu Zenkō-ji temple, established in the early 19th century, is one of the oldest Buddhist sites in Hokkaido.
The story of Shōwa-shinzan has become a local legend. During the war, news of the new volcano was censored, and postmaster Mimatsu Masao recorded its growth using a thread and pins across his window; he later bought the land to protect it. Today the eruptions of Usu-zan are presented openly through trails among damaged buildings, part of a culture of living with volcanoes.
Mimatsu Masao Memorial Museum
三松正夫記念館Mimatsu Masao KinenkanMuseum at the foot of Shōwa-shinzan with the postmaster's original records of the volcano's birth.
Kompira and Nishiyama crater trails
金比羅火口・西山山麓火口散策路Konpira kakō, Nishiyama sanroku kakō sansakuroWalking paths through the craters and damaged buildings of the 2000 eruption at Tōyako Onsen.
Usu Zenkō-ji
有珠善光寺Usu Zenkō-jiA temple founded in 1804 as one of the shogunate's three official temples in Ezo, just outside the park at Date.
History
c. 110,000 years ago
A huge eruption forms the Tōya caldera.
c. 40,000 years ago
The Shikotsu caldera forms; its pyroclastic flows cover the Ishikari lowland.
1663
Usu-zan resumes activity with a large eruption after a long quiet period.
1909
The lava dome on the summit of Tarumae-zan appears.
1943–45
Shōwa-shinzan rises from farmland at the foot of Usu-zan.
1949
Shikotsu-Tōya National Park is designated on 16 May.
1977–78
Usu-zan erupts, damaging Tōyako Onsen and building a new cryptodome.
2000
A forecast eruption of Usu-zan is preceded by the evacuation of about 16,000 people.
2009
The Lake Tōya and Usu-zan area is recognised as one of Japan's first Global Geoparks.
Through the seasons
Spring
Snow retreats from the lakeshores in April; Yōtei-zan keeps its snow cap into June.
Summer
The hiking season on Yōtei-zan, Tarumae-zan and Eniwa-dake; canoeing and diving in Lake Shikotsu's clear water.
Autumn
Colour peaks in October along the Orofure Pass, around Lake Shikotsu and in the Jōzankei valley.
Winter
Heavy snow in the west around Yōtei-zan and Niseko; Lake Shikotsu stays open and hosts an ice festival with sculptures made from lake water.
Routes and trails
Yōtei-zan via the Hirafu or Makkari trail
A long, steep climb to the crater rim and a circuit around the summit crater; 8 to 10 hours return.
Tarumae-zan from the 7th station
An easy walk of about an hour to the outer rim, with views over Lake Shikotsu to Yōtei-zan.
Usu-zan crater rim
From the Usu-zan Ropeway top station, a walking path leads around the crater rim to viewpoints over the active craters.
Noboribetsu Jigokudani and Ōyunuma
Short trails from the hot-spring town past boiling pools to the Ōyunuma hot lake and the hot-river footbath.
Lake Tōya lakeside
A road of about 40 km around the lake, with outdoor sculptures along the shore.
Practical notes
- New Chitose Airport is about 40 minutes by road from Lake Shikotsu; Tōya and Noboribetsu stations lie on the JR line from Sapporo to Hakodate.
- Usu-zan and Tarumae-zan are monitored active volcanoes; check the Japan Meteorological Agency's alert levels before hiking.
- Lake Shikotsu is deep and cold with steep drop-offs; swimming and canoeing require care.
- Some trails, such as Eniwa-dake, are loose and eroded; brown bears occur in the park's quieter forests.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't Lake Shikotsu freeze?
Lake Shikotsu is very deep, about 360 m, and holds a large volume of water that cools slowly, so it rarely freezes even in severe winters. It is the northernmost ice-free lake in Japan.
What is Shōwa-shinzan?
A lava dome that rose out of wheat fields at the foot of Usu-zan between 1943 and 1945. The local postmaster Mimatsu Masao recorded its growth in a now-famous diagram; the mountain is a Special Natural Monument.
Is Usu-zan dangerous?
Usu-zan erupts every few decades, most recently in 1977–78 and 2000. The 2000 eruption was predicted and some 16,000 residents were evacuated beforehand without casualties. The volcano is continuously monitored.
How long does it take to climb Yōtei-zan?
About 8 to 10 hours return from the main trailheads, with around 1,500 m of ascent to the crater rim. It is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan.
Which hot springs are in the park?
The best known are Noboribetsu, with its volcanic Jigokudani valley, Jōzankei in the hills of Sapporo, Tōyako Onsen on the lakeshore, and Marukoma and Kitayuzawa near Lake Shikotsu and the Orofure Pass.
Related
Sources
- 1.支笏洞爺国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
- 2.国立公園の概要 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
- 3.Shikotsu-Toya National Park (opens in a new tab) — Ministry of the Environment, Japan
- 4.洞爺湖有珠山ジオパーク (opens in a new tab) — 洞爺湖有珠山ジオパーク推進協議会