Day Trips from SapporoTsukiura Observatory: A Quiet Viewpoint Over Lake Toya and Nakajima
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A small, quiet viewpoint above the west shore: Nakajima, the hot spring town, Mt. Usu and, on clear days, Mt. Yotei
- Free gravel car park for 30 cars, no toilets; a 2 to 3 minute climb up steps
- The road up is closed in winter (10:00 October 30, 2026 to 10:00 April 16, 2027, as of November 14, 2026)
- About 2.5 hours from Sapporo, 2 hours from New Chitose Airport (Abuta-Toyako IC)
Tsukiura Observatory is a small viewpoint on the hill above the west shore of Lake Toya. It looks straight across the lake at Nakajima, the islands in the middle, with Toyako Onsen, the lake's hot spring town, off to the right on the far shore. From Sapporo it is about two and a half hours by expressway, and from Toyako Onsen about 10 minutes by car, 6 km west along the lake. The road up is closed in winter, from late October to mid-April.
What can you see from Tsukiura Observatory?
Straight ahead is Nakajima, the group of islands in the middle of Lake Toya. You look down on it from a hill on the west side of the lake, so its pointed hill seems to rise sharply out of the water.
To the right, the hotels of Toyako Onsen line the south shore. I came here after a day bath at Toya Kohantei, a hotel in the town, so I was looking back across the lake at where I had just been. The mountain behind the town is Mt. Usu, an active volcano, and on a clear day you can also see Showa-Shinzan, a lava dome beside it (TOYAColors, Toya-Usu Geopark, as of November 2026).
Turn to the north end of the lake, and on a clear day Mt. Yotei stands in the distance. It is the cone-shaped mountain far off on the left, beyond the lake, in the photo below.
Why is it so quiet?
Tsukiura Observatory is one of the Eight Views of Lake Toya, viewpoints around the lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and a Ministry of the Environment sign stands at the top. Even so, it sits up a slope off the lakeside road, a little out of the way, and there was almost nobody there when I went. There is no shop like the one at the Silo Observatory on the northwest shore, so you can look at the lake in peace.
When can you drive to Tsukiura Observatory?
The road up is the Toya-Abuta road, a prefectural road that climbs from the lakeside into the hills, and it is closed to cars in winter. For the 2026–27 season it is closed from 10:00 on October 30, 2026 to 10:00 on April 16, 2027, so as of November 14, 2026 you cannot drive up until April (Iburi Subprefecture winter road closures (PDF, Japanese), as of November 14, 2026). The photos here are from October 13, 2023, before that year's closure began.
Outside the closure, the gate at the bottom of the road stays open and you can drive up any time. If you want to see Lake Toya from above in winter, go to the Silo Observatory, which stays open all year.
Tsukiura, the Silo Observatory or Mt. Usu?
There are three places to look down on Lake Toya from above: Tsukiura Observatory, the Silo Observatory and the observatory at the top of the Mt. Usu Ropeway. They differ in the view, the time and cost, and the facilities.
| Viewpoint | Where on the lake | What you see | Time I spent, cost and facilities | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsukiura Observatory | On a hill above the west shore | Nakajima straight ahead, the hot spring town with Mt. Usu and Showa-Shinzan across the lake, Mt. Yotei to the north | 15 minutes. Free. No shop, no toilets. The road is closed in winter | A quiet look at the lake with few people around |
| Silo Observatory | On a hill above the northwest shore | Nakajima, the hot spring town, Mt. Usu and Showa-Shinzan | 10 minutes. Free entry and parking. Shop and toilets (toilets inside the shop, during its hours). Open in winter | A break and souvenirs at the same stop, or a sightseeing helicopter flight around the lake from its grounds |
| Mt. Usu Ropeway | At the top of Mt. Usu, on the south side | Lake Toya and Mt. Yotei, Showa-Shinzan, the crater area and Uchiura Bay | 1 hour 15 minutes. Ropeway 2,000 yen round trip for adults; parking 500 yen a day | Volcano scenery as well as the lake |
The times are how long I actually stayed at each on my Lake Toya day trip. The Silo Observatory's shop is open 8:30–17:00 from November to April and 8:30–18:00 from May to October (Silo Observatory official website, Japanese, as of November 2026), and the ropeway fare and parking are from the Mt. Usu Ropeway official website (as of November 2026).
If you only have time for one on a day trip from Sapporo, the Silo Observatory is the safe choice: it has a shop and toilets (open while the shop is), and you can go in winter. If you want to compare the lake from more than one viewpoint, go to Tsukiura after the hot spring town and then on to the Silo Observatory, working north along the west side of the lake.
Silo Observatory: The Classic View of Lake ToyaA local's guide to the Silo Observatory above Lake Toya: the view of Nakajima, the hot spring town and Mt. Usu, helicopter flights and winter snowmobiles, facilities, hours, parking and how to get there.
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.
How to get there from Sapporo
From central Sapporo it is about two and a half hours by expressway. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Tomakomai and Muroran, leave at Abuta-Toyako IC (interchange), and head first for Toyako Onsen, the hot spring town on the south shore. From there, Tsukiura Observatory is about 6 km west along the lakeside roads, Prefectural Road 2 and then Route 230 (Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, Tsukiura Observatory viewpoint parking (Japanese), as of November 2026).
After a while on the lakeside road, you will see the entrance to the Toya-Abuta road on your left, with the gate that closes it in winter. Turn left there. Climb the slope a short way, and the entrance to Tsukiura Observatory is on your right. From Toya Kohantei it took me 30 minutes, because I stopped on the way at two lakeside spots, the underwater rails and Chinkojima Park (both in "Near Tsukiura Observatory" below). Without stopping, it is about 10 minutes from the hot spring town.
Parking and toilets
The car park is gravel and free, with room for 30 cars (Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, as of November 2026), and I doubt you will struggle to find a space. From the car park it is a 2 to 3 minute climb up steps to the viewpoint. I found no toilets at the viewpoint or the car park, so use the ones in the hot spring town, or at Lake Hill Farm, about 10 minutes north by car along the lakeside road.
Driving back to the expressway
The Toya-Abuta road carries on over the hills west of the lake to Abuta-Toyako IC. If you keep going past the observatory entrance, you reach the expressway without driving back around the lake through the hot spring town. After my last stop, Roadside Station Toyako on the north shore, I drove back south along the lake and took this road to the expressway home to Sapporo. On it, a large stag with impressive antlers was standing in the road. It runs through forest, so keep your speed down even when there is no traffic.
From spring to autumn, your map app may route you from the IC straight up this road to the observatory. I came from the hot spring town after my bath, so I do not know how long the direct way takes. Going via Toyako Onsen, as I did, does let you use the toilets in town first.
From New Chitose Airport
Take the Do-o Expressway toward Tomakomai and Muroran (south, the opposite direction from Sapporo) and leave at the same Abuta-Toyako IC. From the IC, the route is the same as from Sapporo. It is about two hours from the airport, about 30 minutes less than from Sapporo.
How long to stay
Fifteen minutes is enough to take in the view and take photos. On my Lake Toya day trip, I left Shin-Sapporo Station, on the east side of Sapporo, at 8:00 and went to Mt. Usu, lunch and the bath at Toya Kohantei, and I was at Tsukiura Observatory from 15:30 to 15:45. After that I had gelato at Lake Hill Farm, stopped at the Silo Observatory and Roadside Station Toyako, and was back at Shin-Sapporo Station at 19:30.
Tsukiura Observatory basics
It is an outdoor viewpoint, so there are no opening hours or admission fee. The road up is closed in winter, so you cannot go from late October to mid-April.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | Tsukiura, Toyako, Abuta District, Hokkaido |
| Parking | Free, 30 cars (gravel) |
| Toilets | None |
| When you can go | Mid-April to late October, while the Toya-Abuta road is open. 2026–27 closure: 10:00 on October 30, 2026 to 10:00 on April 16, 2027 |
| From central Sapporo | About 2.5 hours by car, via Abuta-Toyako IC |
| From New Chitose Airport | About 2 hours by car |
The address and parking are from the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau and the closure dates from the Iburi Subprefecture list, both checked on November 14, 2026.
Near Tsukiura Observatory
Along the lakeside road before you turn up to the observatory, and further north after it, there are a few easy stops.
The underwater rails and Chinkojima Park
These two are on your right on the lakeside road as you drive from the hot spring town toward Tsukiura. At the underwater rails (Kotei Senro), rusty rails run straight down into the lake, with Nakajima and Mt. Yotei beyond them. The free fountain plaza car park (Funsui Hiroba) is the closest place to park.
From Chinkojima Park you see Chinkojima, a small wooded island in the lake, with Mt. Yotei behind it.
Lake Hill Farm
Drive back down the way you came, turn left onto the lakeside road, and it is about 10 minutes. You eat gelato made with the farm's own milk while looking at Mt. Yotei beyond the meadow. It has a large car park and toilets, which Tsukiura does not.
Lake Hill Farm: Gelato with a View of Mt. Yotei Near Lake ToyaA local's guide to Lake Hill Farm near Lake Toya: homemade gelato from the farm's own milk, eaten with a view of Mt. Yotei across the meadow, opening hours, parking and how to get there.
Toya Kohantei
This is the hotel in the hot spring town where I stopped before Tsukiura. Day visitors can use the bath on the ninth floor, which looks out over the lake.
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.
FAQ about Tsukiura Observatory
Q1. Can I visit Tsukiura Observatory in winter?
No. The Toya-Abuta road up to the observatory is closed in winter; this season it reopens at 10:00 on April 16, 2027 (as of November 14, 2026). For a view of Lake Toya from above in winter, go to the Silo Observatory, which stays open.
Q2. Is there parking and a toilet at Tsukiura Observatory?
There is a free car park for 30 cars, but no toilet. Use the ones in the hot spring town, or at Lake Hill Farm, about 10 minutes away by car.
Q3. How far is Tsukiura Observatory from Sapporo?
About two and a half hours by car. Leave the Do-o Expressway at Abuta-Toyako IC, drive to Toyako Onsen, and from there it is about 6 km, or 10 minutes, west along the lake.
Q4. Tsukiura Observatory or the Silo Observatory: which is better?
Tsukiura if you want a quiet look at Nakajima and Toyako Onsen with few people around; the Silo Observatory if you want a shop and toilets and a place you can visit in winter. They are about 15 minutes apart by car, so from spring to autumn you can see both.
Lake Toya by car
Mt. Usu, a lakeside onsen and the other viewpoints all fit into the same day, in the order I drove them.
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.