E-190 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Hokkaido's highest-elevation lake (810m), a volcanic caldera lake ringed by lava domes in Shikaoi town, just south of Daisetsuzan National Park. In winter the frozen surface hosts 'Kotan,' a village of hand-built ice igloos with an open-air hot spring set directly on the ice.

Best season

Winter (kotan ice village · Late jan-late mar) or summer (canoeing · Hiking)

Crowd level

Hidden gem

Rating

4.3· 325 reviews

Opening hours

Lake always accessible; Kotan ice village runs late January-late March

Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.

Nearest station

No train access; nearest stations are Shintoku or Obihiro (~60-90 min drive)

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