Day Trips from SapporoNakajima Island, Lake Toya: The Cruise, Landing and the Daiheigen Walk
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- Four islands in the middle of Lake Toya, formed by volcanic activity about 50,000 years ago
- Cruise from Toyako Onsen: 1,800 yen, every 30 minutes in summer, cash only
- Landing on Oshima only from late April to October; walk 20–30 minutes to the Daiheigen meadow
- Autumn leaves peak in late October
Nakajima is the name for the four islands in the middle of Lake Toya: Oshima, Benten-jima, Kannon-jima and Manju-jima. You can land on the biggest, Oshima, by cruise boat from Toyako Onsen and walk into its forest. The Daiheigen meadow on Oshima is said to be a power spot that collects energy flowing from Mt. Yotei.
How the islands formed
Lake Toya is a caldera lake formed by a collapse after an eruption about 110,000 years ago. At first there were no islands; Nakajima was formed later, by volcanic activity about 50,000 years ago (Hokkaido geosites, in Japanese).
The cruise
The boats leave from the lakeshore in Toyako Onsen.
Seagulls fly alongside as the boat heads for Nakajima with Mt. Yotei behind.
The boat weaves between the four islands, so you see up close what looks small from the shore. At the peak of the autumn leaves, around late October, the islands glow gold in the sun.
Walking on Oshima
Landing on Oshima, the Nakajima Lake Forest Museum is right in front of you.
Go straight through the museum to the trail entrance. There are three courses:
- Round-the-island course: 7.6 km, about 3 hours
- Akaezomatsu (Sakhalin spruce) fallen tree course (there and back): 4 km, about 2 hours
- Forest walk course: 1.3 km, about 45 minutes
There are no toilets on the trails, so use the museum's; it also has a café for after the walk. At the trail desk you write down your start time, name and contact, then follow the signs toward the Daiheigen.
After 10 to 15 minutes through larch forest, there is a fork: go straight for the Akaezomatsu course to reach the Daiheigen. The path starts to climb here.
20 to 30 minutes from the start, after the top of the climb and a gentle descent, the forest suddenly opens out: this is the Daiheigen.
Surrounded by ridges, it has a strange, still atmosphere, and Mt. Yotei shows through a gap between the peaks. You may meet wild Ezo deer on the trails. Power spot or not, being in the woods on an island in the middle of a lake feels cut off from the world, and very relaxing.
The way back
The boat out goes along the west side of the islands and the boat back along the east, so the view changes; on the way back you see Mt. Usu and Showa-Shinzan to the southeast.
Schedule, price and parking
To walk to the Daiheigen and back, plan for an hour or more on the island and come back on a later boat; check the return times when you buy your ticket.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Summer (late April to October) | 8:30–16:30, every 30 minutes; about 50 minutes without landing, or about 80 minutes if you land and take the boat 30 minutes later |
| Winter (November to early April) | 9:00–16:00, every hour; about 45 minutes, no landing |
| Landing on Oshima | Late April to October only (not from April 1 to 26, or on the 16:30 sailing) |
| Lake Forest Museum | 9:00–16:00; closed November to mid-April |
| Price | 1,800 yen adults, 900 yen elementary school children; cash only |
| Parking | Free for cruise users, about 20–30 cars; the large Toyako parking lot is 2–3 minutes away on foot |
See the Toyako Kisen site (in Japanese) for details.
How to get there
From Sapporo: about two and a half hours including breaks. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Tomakomai and Muroran and leave at Abuta-Toyako IC (Date IC for the Usu side). Tarumae SA and Usuzan SA both have viewpoints worth a break.
From New Chitose Airport: about an hour and three quarters on the same expressway. The pier is on the lakeshore in Toyako Onsen.
Near the cruise pier
Restaurant Boyotei, Lake Toya: A Western-Style Diner Since 1946A local's guide to Restaurant Boyotei in Toyako Onsen, a Western-style diner open since 1946: the pork chop and hamburg steak, the menu, hours, Wednesday closing and where to park.
Toya Kohantei Day Bath: A Ninth-Floor Hot Spring Over Lake ToyaA local's guide to the day bath at Toya Kohantei in the Lake Toya hot spring town: the ninth-floor bath looking over the lake, the sauna, the water, price, hours and parking.
Lake Toya Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route, Viewpoints and OnsenA local's day trip from Sapporo to Lake Toya by car: Mt. Usu, a lakeside lunch, an onsen with a lake view and the quiet viewpoints on the north shore, with tolls, parking and winter tips.
FAQ about Nakajima, Lake Toya
Q1. Can you land on Nakajima?
Yes, on Oshima, from late April to October, by the cruise boat from Toyako Onsen.
Q2. How much is the Lake Toya cruise?
1,800 yen for adults, cash only.
Q3. How long is the walk to the Daiheigen?
20 to 30 minutes each way from the Lake Forest Museum.