Watching a helicopter fly over Lake Toya from Silo Observatory

On Day 5 of our Hokkaido self-drive trip, after having breakfast at Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace, we took a walk along Lake Toya and enjoyed soaking our feet in the footbath pool in front of the hotel before heading to the nearby Silo Observatory to enjoy the panoramic view of Lake Toya. It only took about 15 minutes to drive there from the hotel, so it was quite close.

After parking our car in the free parking lot next to Silo Observatory, we immediately heard the sound of helicopters as soon as we got out of the car. Walking less than 50 meters, we arrived at the observatory. This is one of the scenic viewpoints in Shikotsu-Toya National Park in Hokkaido, and the view here feels very relaxing. There is also a sightseeing helicopter takeoff and landing area nearby.

There is also the famous TOYA landmark sign here, which spells “TOYA,” the English name of Lake Toya. Many visitors stop here to take photos. Viewing the beautiful summer scenery of Hokkaido from this observatory is truly wonderful.

This is also one of the well-known viewpoints of Lake Toya. I saw two helicopters flying back and forth in front of me, and quite a few tourists were taking helicopter rides.

Two years ago, I saw people taking helicopter tours at Mount Aso, and I never expected to see two helicopters in Hokkaido taking turns flying here. One helicopter was yellow, and the other was blue. They flew toward Nakajima Island in the middle of Lake Toya, circling the lake for aerial sightseeing. I personally wouldn’t dare to ride one, so just watching from the side was enough for me.