Lake Shikotsu Visitor Center

The Visitor Center at Lake Shikotsu, boasting one of the highest water clarities in Japan, introduces visitors to various aspects of the lake under the theme "A Journey to Another Lake Shikotsu: Into the Forest, Mountains, and Lake." It uses videos and models to present the history of Lake Shikotsu, the active volcanic activity in the area, and the ecology of wildlife around the lake. The multilingual support for videos is a welcome feature.

In 2020, VR goggles were introduced, allowing visitors to experience places like the moss cave, which is off-limits, the shores of Lake Okotanpe, and underwater scenes of Lake Shikotsu through VR videos. The center also regularly hosts events that provide a deeper understanding of Lake Shikotsu's nature, including observation tours and hiking events (pre-registration required for events).

At the entrance, greeted by two taxidermied brown bears, there's an information corner providing walking maps of the area around Lake Shikotsu, making it an ideal first stop for visitors to the lake.