Introduction
Toya Onsen is one of Hokkaido's best hot spring resorts, with many of the baths affording stunning views of the eponymous lake.
Set in south-west Hokkaido and part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, it's a popular getaway for Japanese city dwellers, who come here as much for the scenery as the hot springs.
The springs are a result of volcanic activity in the area and on the south side of Lake Toya sits Showa-Shin-Zan, one of Japan's youngest volcanoes. It was formed in 1943 when a series of earthquakes saw a bump appear, which grew into a mound, then a hill and finally into today's 400-metre peak.
