Hokkaido

Lake Toya in Summer: Is It Worth Visiting and How Long Should You Stay?

by

Lake Toya (洞爺湖) is one of Hokkaido’s most photographed caldera lakes—a wide, placid body of water ringed by smoking volcanoes, onsen resorts, and the walking paths of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. If you are planning a summer trip to Hokkaido and wondering whether to squeeze it into your itinerary, the honest answer depends entirely on your … Read more

How to Get to Noboribetsu Onsen: Train vs Direct Bus from Sapporo, New Chitose Airport & Hakodate

by

If you’ve started looking into getting to Noboribetsu, you’ve probably noticed something odd. Google Maps shows multiple routes. Some take you to a train station. Others drop you at hot spring hotels. And the travel times don’t seem to match what you’re reading in older blogs. Here’s the short version: Noboribetsu Station is 8 km … Read more