Lake Tōya, Volcanic crater lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Japan.
Lake Tōya forms a circular body of water with a diameter of ten kilometers and reaches depths of 180 meters within the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark. Four forested islands, collectively called Nakajima, rise from the center of the water and create a second, smaller ring of water around them.
The basin formed 110,000 years ago when a massive volcanic explosion created a crater that filled with water. Later eruptions then shaped the Nakajima Islands in the middle of the basin.
The term comes from the Ainu language and was once called Kim'un-to, until settlers shortened the name to Tōya during the Meiji period. People today walk the islands or visit the shore promenades built to explore the landscape.
The Windsor Hotel offers lodging near the shore, while ferries run regularly to the central islands. Walking paths along the coast lead through parks and hot springs, where you can rest and watch the surroundings.
Despite its northern location, the water never freezes, making it the northernmost Japanese lake without ice cover. The constant depth keeps the temperature mild enough during winter to remain liquid.
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