After our JTB tour ended, we continued to travel on our own, with Sapporo as our base.

On Thurday, we joined a full-day coach sight-seeing tour of Lakes Toya and Shikotsu and Mt Usu, with lunch thrown in at a hotel near Lake Toya. The two lakes, formed after a series of volcanic eruptions are a major attraction in Japan and they do not freeze even during winter. The area is well known for its natural and hot springs attractions. The view of Lake Toya from the summit of Mt Usu is fantastic. From there we were also able to see smoke coming out of its largest crater. Mt Usu is still an active volcano, with its last eruption in 2000.