Scenic ropeway and clear beautiful view on top of Mount Usu, with a terrace facing Lake Toya to relax and appreciate nature. There’s a short walk around, but we did not go further down the boardwalk as it seemed slightly too far for us. Recommended to visit if around the Lake Toya area!
The trail is a good hike, just be prepared for the parking costs and the buses of tourists in the autumn season. Hiking the other side of the mountains is also great and gives you a great chance to see the power of the 2000 earthquake on the houses and roads the passed through the area. There is free parking available on the western side.
After all the great food in Hokkaido, it's good to take a day out for hiking around mount Usu, the active volcano at lake Toya.
The walk usually is about half a day and if you are lucky, you can see steam coming out from the mountain. 🚶
Even from far distance you can see the steam coming out from all direction at the Gunnima crater, it is a sight to behold. We went up by cable car so we only went half way down the trail as it leads to the sea side, which is the opposite side to Lake Toya. I suggest others to take the cable car up one way and hike down. Those stairs are relentless as you can see from the photos.
