Shikotsu-Tōya National Park. was added to Your Favorites!
Chitose, Hokkaido
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Shikotsu-Toya National Park was established on May 16, 1949 and protects 99,473 hectares of southwestern Hokkaido.
Lake Shikotsu reaches 360 meters deep, making it Japan's second-deepest lake.
Lake Toya fills a huge caldera created by an eruption about 110,000 years ago.
Showa-shinzan rose from farmland during the 1943–45 eruption of Mt. Usu, allowing people to witness the birth of a new mountain.
Lake Shikotsu's kokanee, locally called chippu, has become a celebrated regional dish since the fish was introduced from Lake Akan in 1894.
Lake Shikotsu's caldera began forming through enormous volcanic activity around 32,000 years ago.
Cold conditions and limited sediment flowing into Lake Shikotsu help produce its exceptional water clarity.
The name Shikotsu traces to the Ainu term shikot, interpreted locally as large depression.
Mt. Tarumae remains active and has a distinctive lava dome inside its summit crater.
Lake Toya is nearly circular, measures about 40 kilometers around and contains the Nakajima islands near its center.
Nakajima was formed by volcanic activity roughly 50,000 years ago, long after the original Lake Toya caldera formed.
Mt. Usu has erupted at least nine times since 1663 and erupted four times during the twentieth century alone.
Hot springs emerging after Mount Usu's 1910 eruption helped Toyako Onsen develop into a lakeside resort town.
Masao Mimatsu recorded the growth of Showa-shinzan in drawings that became internationally known as the Mimatsu Diagram.
The 2000 Mt. Usu eruption created new craters near inhabited areas, while advance warning allowed residents to evacuate before the eruption.
Volcano Meisters around Lake Toya preserve eruption memories and teach volcanic science and disaster preparedness to others.
Fields and orchards around Lake Toya supply seasonal produce, adding farm flavors to the area's lakeside food culture.
People have lived around the foot of Mt. Usu for approximately 10,000 years, according to archaeological evidence.
Mt. Yotei rises 1,898 meters and displays distinct vegetation zones from broadleaf forest to alpine plants near its summit.
Jigokudani's geothermal waters supply Noboribetsu, one of Hokkaido's best-known Japanese onsen destinations.
As much as 10,000 tons of hot spring water flow from the Jigokudani area each day to Noboribetsu's hotels and inns.
At Oyunuma River, visitors can enjoy a natural hot-spring footbath amid the forest, a gentle introduction to onsen culture.
Lake Kuttara is a nearly circular caldera lake about 2.5 kilometers across, known for exceptionally clear water.
Toya-Usu became Japan's first Global Geopark in 2009, recognizing the international significance of its volcanic heritage.
Lake Shikotsu's water has long supported hydroelectric power, and renewable hydropower now supplies much of the local area's electricity.
