The Lake Toya area seen from above
Born from the eruption of Mt. Usu in July 1910 (Japanese Meiji era 43), Meiji Shinzan was given the name Yosomi yama according to the Japanese reading of the date that it erupted. Due to this eruption, hot spring water gushed out into the Lake Toya vicinity and this was the beginnings of the Lake Toya Onsen. Several years later, hot-spring hotels were established and furthermore, it was designated a national park in 1949 and rapidly grew as a sight-seeing area. In contrast to the violent image of smoke bellowing from Mt. Usu and Showa Shinzan, the elegant shape of Lake Toya with the reflection of Nakajima in the surface of it, has continued even now to fascinate large numbers of people.
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Shiretoko's four seasons In 2005
Shiretoko Peninsula was registered as a World Heritage Site. With every New Year, the nutritionally rich sea brought by the drift ice supports fish such as salmon and so thanks to this there is no lack of food for the sea eagles and brown bears.

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June 1995, Development of the sculpture park around Lake Toya
In front of Lake Toya, extending from Sobetsu to Toyako is an open air sculpture park that covers 43 km of the lakes surroundings. There are 58 statues in total and they all fit in perfectly with the lake’s scenery.

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