Lake Toya (洞爺湖, Tōyako) is part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Our destination this time is Toyako Onsen (洞爺湖温泉, Tōyako Onsen), a hot spring town located on the shores of Lake Toya. We had a long journey from Niseko, changing trains at Oshamambe Station and then getting off at Toya Station (JR-MURORAN).

We arrived at Toya Station (JR-MURORAN) at 3:48 PM. I walked to the bus stop to check the bus schedule to our accommodation. The bus that passed our accommodation left at 3:40 PM. We had to wait for the 5:00 PM bus. So I decided to take the bus to Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal instead and walk along the lake. At that time, a bus arrived. Chinese tourists asked the driver if it went to the Bus Terminal. The driver replied OK, so I let us get on. After getting on the bus, I opened the map and saw that the bus was heading towards the lake, so I was relieved that I had not gotten on the wrong bus.

Remember to take a numbered ticket when boarding the bus and check the fare from the table displayed at the front of the bus. Today's passengers included one foreigner, four Chinese people, and five of us. A few Japanese people got on and off at different stops. After about 10 minutes, we saw the lake. The sky was clear this afternoon, and we had a clear view of Mt. Yotei, also known as Little Fuji.

The bus arrived at Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal, and we all got off. However, the Chinese passengers remained seated until the driver announced "Last Stop." I didn't pay much attention until my friend told me that the Chinese passengers had waved to him as they got off. They probably thought the bus would take them directly to their hotel. This incident highlights the importance of thorough research before traveling. I had only checked the bus schedule to Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal and used Google Street View to plan my walk to the hotel. However, my friend had discovered that there was a bus that went directly to the hotel.

From this point, my friend still didn't know how much further we had to walk to enjoy a comfortable stroll with beautiful views. So, I decided to take a shortcut directly to the lake. This route is about 100 meters shorter than the main road (which is 800 meters from the Bus Terminal).

Walking straight to the lake, we stopped to take some photos. There are several sculptures along the shore of Lake Toya. This one looks like a bird to me. The area around the lake on this side is a wide path where people walk their dogs. I'd like to bring Taro here for a walk sometime.

The next area is the pier where we will be sailing tomorrow. Today, the last boat leaves at 4:00 PM. I checked the schedule for tomorrow morning, the first round is at 9:00 AM. The fare is 1,420 yen. During the summer, the first boat starts at 8:00 AM. You can check the website here: http://www.toyakokisen.com/price/price01.html

This frame should be installed because when I searched for reviews, I didn't see it. If we stand in the middle of the frame, we will see Mount Fuji in the center. It is another beautiful view that should not be missed.

We took the opportunity to take many photos with this frame as a souvenir, especially when the last boat ran back between the frames. We had to take turns running in and out to take photos in time. Fortunately, we were the only group there, so we got many beautiful photos.

I waited for the boat to come closer to take a picture, but it seemed like the picture was backlit, so I didn't stay until the boat stopped completely.

My friends dragged their luggage and walked ahead. This lakeside path is wide, so you can easily walk around it.

The ground was partially covered in snow and ice, forcing my friend to carry his backpack. However, my girlfriend's backpack was heavy due to our previous travels, so I had to slowly drag it across the ice. Fortunately, I had already left some of my belongings at the hotel, so I only had to carry one backpack.

There were footbaths along the way, but we wanted to get to the hotel first, so we didn't stop there.

Sign indicating Shikotsu-Toya National Park, The Eight Views of Toyako, Lake Toya Spa Resort

The view on the way to the hotel where I'm staying tonight. My friends have already walked far ahead, while I'm still taking photos and dragging my suitcase behind them at a distance.

Nude sculptures are a common sight at tourist destinations. When I took these photos, I didn't think much about it, just trying to make the images visually interesting. But I wonder, what would happen if these sculptures were placed in a public park in Thailand? Would it cause a stir with the Ministry of Culture?

Map signs around the lake and information about Lake Toya and Mt. Usu in English.

Note: As the original text is empty, there is nothing to translate.

Please provide the text you want me to translate, and I will do my best to deliver an accurate and natural-sounding translation in English.

We walked to the statue of a man sitting in a hat playing the saxophone with a bird perched on his head, which is located behind the hotel where we are staying. Due to the cold weather and the long walk, we did not stop to take pictures. We decided to go inside the hotel to check in and escape the cold.

We walked up behind the hotel, through a small Japanese garden to enter the side door. As the Thai girl who came with the tour and stayed at the same hotel told me, my boyfriend, who arrived earlier, couldn't find his way in by himself because the side door was very heavy and required a lot of force to open.

We walked through the lobby of the large hotel, which can accommodate up to 900 guests in 205 rooms. According to the hotel's website: http://en.toya-kohantei.com/room

The lobby of the hotel offers unobstructed lake views, allowing guests to fully appreciate the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

After checking in, we went our separate ways to our rooms. We were assigned a Japanese Style room with 8 Tatami mats (Lake-side), which my partner had recommended during the booking process on Booking.com. The hotel did not guarantee this room type, as it was a busy period with tour groups staying there.

The lake view from the room is so beautiful that every time I come back to the room, I have to sit by the window.

We had planned to have dinner at the restaurant on the second floor of the hotel. However, my friend's pocket Wi-Fi battery died, so we couldn't contact each other. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. So I went down to the restaurant. Today, there were both Thai and Chinese tour groups, and the restaurant was full. However, the restaurant had a good system of assigning table numbers to each room and had staff to guide guests to their tables, so there was no scramble for seats. When I entered the restaurant, I found that my friend had already arrived. When traveling with a group, it is important to have a designated meeting point in case you cannot contact each other, so you know where to go next.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, and they are constantly refilled, so you don't have to worry about running out. After an hour of eating, the dining room is empty, making it a great place to relax. If you are staying here, don't rush to join the tour. Wait a little longer.

We parted ways to rest. My boyfriend went to see the onsen, but it was crowded, so he didn't use the service. Instead, he soaked in the hot water in the bathtub in the room. Today, we slept comfortably before waking up early to see the view of Mount Fuji from the room window. This picture was taken with my iPhone at maximum zoom.

We met in the morning at the restaurant. My girlfriend and I brought our large suitcases downstairs first. Today, she will leave this suitcase at our accommodation in Tokyo. Tomorrow will be easy, we will only have one backpack each. Since the luggage storage opens at 7:00 AM, we took photos and enjoyed the view of the tower first.

The sky is heavily overcast this morning, making it appear gloomy. I checked the weather forecast and it seems that there will be clouds in the morning and snow in the afternoon, especially in Noboribetsu, where we will be traveling to at noon today. Therefore, we need to prepare our winter clothes thoroughly.

While waiting for our friends to come down with our luggage, we went out to take pictures by the lake. However, due to the extremely cold weather and the fact that we did not bring our jackets, we had to return inside quickly.

We left our luggage and went up for breakfast. This morning, people were gradually coming down to eat, not as crowded as in the evening. The tables were not assigned seats, so we could choose a table by the window and enjoy the view while eating. The breakfast was also diverse, and we could choose to take as many rounds as we wanted. However, don't take too much, or the staff will be upset.

After checking out and leaving our luggage at the hotel, we set off on a walk along the lakeside to the pier at 8:15 AM. We stopped to take photos along the way, but the cloudy sky meant that the pictures weren't very good.

In the morning, I saw people walking their dogs, but I didn't see any dog waste. The people in this city are very good at keeping it clean and respecting others.

While others have already moved ahead, I linger to capture some photos. It's not often I get to visit this place, so I want to take some pictures.

We arrived at the ticket booth before the staff arrived to open it. Another bus with a Chinese tour group followed us. We were the first in line to buy tickets, which cost 1,280 yen instead of the usual 1,420 yen. This was because I had seen a discount card at the hotel before we walked over, so I decided to take it with me in case it could be used. One card can be used for a discount for the whole group.

Upon boarding the vessel, proceed to the second floor and select your preferred seating. Today, the number of visitors is minimal, with only our group and a Chinese tour group of approximately twenty individuals. This results in ample seating availability, allowing for comfortable seating arrangements. The vessel offers a restaurant and beverage services for your convenience.

After the boat departed from the pier, we went up to take pictures on the roof deck. The weather on the roof deck is very cold because of the wind from the boat sailing. Those who are not prepared with clothes will not be able to stay for long and will have to go down.

As the boat departs, birds follow, attracted by food thrown by tourists. The Chinese tour guide likely prepared for this, allowing us to capture photos of the birds flying alongside. The guide throws food into the sky near where the birds are perched, causing them to take flight and follow in a large group.

We sat in the boat and enjoyed the scenery until the boat returned to the point where we could see Little Fuji. We then got off the boat to take some pictures.

If the sky were clearer, the view would be even more stunning. Even so, we braved the cold to take photos.

While many people took refuge from the cold inside the boat, I remained to capture the perfect photograph of the bird and Mount Fuji. This image will serve as a reminder of our journey through this place.

The boat docked at the pier. We walked back to the hotel the same way we came. This was the third time we had walked this route, but it was still captivating.

Turning back to yesterday's frame, today the ship has docked. I also saw part of the ship's view. It looks strange. Keep it as a souvenir.

As my friends walked ahead, I called my girlfriend back to take a picture, as I sometimes regret not capturing certain moments.

Capturing this angle in the morning avoids harsh backlighting. I waited until there were no people around and took a few more photos.

Walking back to the hotel, taking pictures along the way. This morning, there were people walking their dogs.

We walked back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and then walked to the bus stop across the street from the hotel. No need to drag your luggage to the Bus Terminal. The bus passes in front of the hotel at 10:46 AM.

This concludes our review of Peia. Before noon today, we will be traveling to Noboribetsu. Please stay tuned for more updates.

Travel Information:

• 12:42-14:19 Kutchan-Oshamambe 3,630 yen non-reserved
• 15:22-15:48 Oshamambe-Toya(JR-MURORAN) reserved
• 15:55 Toya(JR-MURORAN) - Toyako Onsen Bus Terminal

Bus schedule at the bus stop in front of Toya(JR-MURORAN) station.

Bus schedule for the stop opposite Kohantei Hotel

Ferry Schedule at Lake Toya Pier

Luggage storage at Toya Station (JR-MURORAN)

Discount coupons for boat trips available at the hotel.

Map of the Area Around the Lake

Map of the route we walked near our hotel, Hotel number 2.

Hotel website: http://en.toya-kohantei.com/

Travel information to the hotel on the hotel's website

Take a local bus for Higashi-Machi-Sun Palace via Toyako-Onsen. Get off at Moto-machi. one-way Approx. 25 min.
→ Do-Nan Bus・Toyako Onsen⇔Toyako Eki-Mae・Toyoura line

Itinerary for this trip

Day 1 13:15 Arrive at CTS Visit Sapporo and stay at Hokkaido Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi

Exchange JR-Hokkaido 7-day pass 24,000 yen Start using the next day Pay an additional 1,360 yen for the train ticket into the city

Day 2 08:43 Take the train to Otaru then take the train to Kutchan then take the bus to Grand Hirafu

Today visit Niseko Stay at Moutin Jam/Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei

Day 3 11:50 Take the bus to Kutchan Station Take the train to Oshamambe then take the train to Toya(JR-MURORAN) then take the bus to Lake Toya (Toya Lake) Stay at Kohan Tei tonight

Day 4 Take a boat trip on Lake Toya then take the bus to Toya Station(JR-MURORAN) Take the train to Noboribetsu then take the bus to Noboribetsu Onsen Visit the bear farm and hell valley Stay at Takimoto tonight

Day 5 Take the bus to Noboribetsu Station Take the train to Sapporo(JR) Today visit Mt. Moiwa Stay at Hokkaido Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi

Day 6 Take the train to Otaru Chikou Take the bus to Kiroro In the evening come back to visit Otaru and then go back to sleep in Sapporo

Day 7 Take the train to Tomamu Visit and stay at The Tower

Day 8 Travel back to walk around CTS airport before returning to Bangkok