Northern lights in Toyako tonight

Lake Toya occupies a 9 km caldera lake in southwestern Hokkaido. The north shore faces south across the caldera toward the hot spring resort town of Toyako Onsen - this direction has moderate light glow. The more useful position is the eastern and western shore road where the view across the open caldera looks over dark water toward the caldera rim at 550-700 m elevation. Bortle Class 3-4 from lakeside positions away from the onsen town. During a Kp 8-9 storm, red aurora appears low above the caldera rim to the north. Nakajima Island, the small island in the centre of the lake, creates a distinctive silhouette in the caldera foreground.

Mount Usu (737 m) last erupted in 2000 - the approach road on its eastern flank gives elevated positions above the valley light glow and a clear western and northern horizon. Bortle Class 3 from the upper car parks on the approach road. The ropeway to the summit offers access during operating hours (check seasonal timetable) to above 400 m where the horizon opens. During a Kp 8-9 storm, red aurora appears low in the north and northwest from the elevated positions. The Usu approach gives the darkest accessible position in the immediate Toyako area without a significant hike.

Sobetsu is an agricultural town north of Lake Toya on the outer caldera flank. The open farmland here gives a clear northern horizon without the lake's surrounding rim blocking the sky. Bortle Class 3. Positioned 8 km from the onsen town, the Sobetsu area faces north over the coastal plain toward the Uchiura Bay direction. During a Kp 8-9 storm, red aurora appears low above the flat agricultural horizon to the north. The approach from the onsen hotel district takes under 15 minutes by car. A practical position for those staying in Toyako who want to get away from the resort lighting without a long drive.