Day Trips from SapporoToya Kohantei Day Bath: A Ninth-Floor Hot Spring Over Lake Toya
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A ninth-floor bath with a view over the whole of Lake Toya and Nakajima
- A small sauna, an open-air bath on the ninth floor, and cooling off with the lake in front of you
- Day bathing 13:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00), 1,200 yen
- Free parking for about 50 cars in the hot spring town
Toya Kohantei is a hotel right on the shore of Lake Toya, in Toyako Onsen, the hot spring town, and its bath is on the ninth floor: you soak in the hot spring looking over the whole lake. There is a small sauna too, and cooling off afterward with the lake in front of you is wonderful. You do not need to stay at the hotel: day visitors can use the bath from 13:00 to 19:00 for 1,200 yen.
The ninth-floor bath
The highlight is the bath on the ninth floor, high above the lake, with an open-air bath on the same floor: from the water you look straight out over Lake Toya and Nakajima Island.
The sauna is on the small side, but cooling off after it while looking at the lake felt wonderful. On the other side of the building, away from the lake, you can see Mt. Usu.
The water is a sodium-calcium chloride spring: clear and smooth on the skin. The salt in the water stays on your skin, so you stay warm long after you get out.
Day bathing: price and hours
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 13:00–19:00 (last entry 18:00) |
| Price | 1,200 yen adults, 600 yen children |
| Towel rental | 300 yen |
| Parking | Free for bath guests, about 50 cars |
See the official site (in Japanese) for details.
How the day bath works
- Pay at the front desk; the baths are separate for men and women.
- No swimsuits; wash and rinse at the washing stations before you get in.
- The hotel does not publish a tattoo policy, so ask at the front desk.
How to get to Toya Kohantei
From Sapporo: about two and a half hours. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Tomakomai and Muroran and exit at Abuta-Toyako IC (Date IC if you are going to Mt. Usu first). Follow Route 230 to the lake; at the T-junction by the lake, turn right for the hot spring town.
From New Chitose Airport: an hour and a half to two hours, on the same expressway.
On the way, the Tarumae and Usuzan service areas (expressway rest stops) both have observation decks with good views.
Near Toya Kohantei
From the hot spring town, sightseeing boats cross to Nakajima, the islands in the middle of the lake. The Mt. Usu Ropeway is a short drive away, and on the north shore, the Silo Observatory looks back across the lake, and Lake Hill Farm, next to it, serves gelato with a view of Mt. Yotei.
Mt. Usu Ropeway: Lake Toya, Showa Shinzan and the Crater ViewpointA local's guide to the Mt. Usu Ropeway at Lake Toya: the view over Lake Toya and Showa Shinzan, the walk to the crater observatory, prices, hours, parking and how to get there from Sapporo.
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.
Onsen Near Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Day-Trip Hot SpringsThe best onsen near Sapporo for a day trip, chosen by a local who has bathed at all of them: Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Shakotan and Lake Toya, with prices, tattoo-friendly and private baths, and shuttle buses.
FAQ about Toya Kohantei
Q1. How much is the day bath at Toya Kohantei?
1,200 yen for adults; towels can be rented for 300 yen.
Q2. What time can you use the day bath?
From 13:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:00.
Q3. Can you see Lake Toya from the bath?
Yes. The bath is on the ninth floor and looks out over the whole lake.