In an age when you can choose where you work, more and more people are thinking, “If I can work anywhere, why not somewhere with a view?” Lake Toya sits a little away from urban convenience—just right for settling in to work while looking out over the water. Kamonoya, which runs 11 whole-house rentals, explains the appeal of Lake Toya and how to choose your lodging, from a workation and long-stay perspective.

Why Lake Toya suits a workation

• The scenery sets your working rhythm. Walk the lakeside in the morning before starting work, dip into a foot bath at lunch, cool down watching the lake in the evening. These “rituals of switching gears,” impossible to create in a city office, are all within a short walk.
• Access is realistic. About 2 hours by car from New Chitose Airport, and about 2 hours from Sapporo. As “an easily reachable escape from the everyday,” it is easy to plan from inside and outside Hokkaido alike.
• There is something to look forward to every evening. From late April to the end of October, the Lake Toya Long-run Fireworks Festival runs for about 20 minutes from around 20:45 every night. Watching fireworks as your after-work routine is a luxury unique to Lake Toya.

Why a kitchen-equipped whole-house rental wins for longer stays

For 2–3 nights a hotel is comfortable, but as a stay stretches to a week or two, the advantages of a kitchen-equipped whole-house rental grow.For where to buy ingredients and local food tips, see our Lake Toya food guide.

• You can control food costs. Eating out every meal wears out both your wallet and your stomach. Every Kamonoya property has a full kitchen, so buying ingredients at the local supermarket and cooking keeps food costs reasonable—and your diet balanced—even on a long stay.
• Your daily rhythm stays intact. Breakfast and dinner are on your schedule. Even if a meeting runs long, you are not chasing a restaurant’s last order.
• You can use “room = workplace” generously. With a whole house or unit to yourself, you can make the living room your workspace and keep the bedroom separate. Online meetings can be held without worrying about noise or a shared-room feel.
• Cleaning and laundry at your own pace. Staying as if you live there is the essence of a whole-house rental. Equipment details (washing machine, Wi-Fi, etc.) differ by property, so please check the property page or contact us.

Ways to refresh between work, on foot or a short drive away

What really decides the quality of a workation is the quality of your breaks. At Lake Toya, there are options to match the time you have.

• A 15-minute break: a hand bath or foot bath in the onsen town. It resets your head.
• An hour: a walk on the lakeside promenade. Walking among the sculptures also helps with a lack of exercise.
• A half-day off: the Usuzan Ropeway or Showa-Shinzan. A cruise to Nakajima on the Lake Toya boat is also recommended. A loop of the lake is about 40 km, roughly an hour by car—easy on a half-day off.
• A weekend off: Rusutsu is about 30 minutes by car, Niseko about an hour, Noboribetsu about an hour. Use Lake Toya as a base for southern Hokkaido’s highlights. For putting a route together, see our model course article.

Kamonoya properties recommended for long stays and workations

All Kamonoya properties are whole-house or whole-unit rentals with full kitchens. Choose to match your style of stay.

• Lake Toya Building 1R (sleeps 3, from ¥7,000/night): a base for a solo workation. An apartment type in the onsen town center, a short walk from the lakeside for a breather. The strongest option if you want to keep multi-night costs down.
• Lake Toya Building 2LDK (sleeps 6, from ¥11,000/night): for a workation as a couple or family. A 2LDK layout, letting you separate a “work room” from a “living room,” is an excellent match for long stays.
• Cloud9 Toya (sleeps 11, from ¥27,000/night): a quiet, hideaway-style whole-house rental. With a wood stove, it also suits focused writing or a development retreat.
• Toya Tiny Cabin (sleeps 4, from ¥20,000/night): a whole-house cabin in a quiet setting away from the bustle. For solo or small-group stays where you “just want to focus.”

For details of what a workation needs—Wi-Fi, desk space and so on—please check each property page or contact us. Compare all properties from the list of properties. For a team development retreat or offsite, our large-group article is a useful reference.

For long stays, booking direct is to your advantage

The longer the stay, the larger the total—and the bigger the difference your booking route makes. Booking directly through our commission-free official site gives you the best-value official rate (best-rate guarantee). It is also the easiest route for discussing a longer stay. Check availability here.

FAQ

Q. Is there Wi-Fi? Can I hold online meetings?

Connectivity differs by property. If you plan to hold online meetings, please check the property page in advance or let us know your intended use (how often you will have meetings) when you contact us. What all properties share is that, being private rentals, you can hold meetings without worrying about noise around you.

Q. From how many nights can I discuss a long stay?

You are of course welcome from a single night, but if you are considering a multi-night, weekly or monthly stay, we recommend contacting us once your dates are set. Availability changes a great deal by season, so please start with the availability search.

Q. Is a winter workation possible?

Yes. Lake Toya in winter is quiet, and working while looking out over a snowy lake is something special. You can also combine it with weekend skiing—Rusutsu is about 30 minutes by car and Niseko about an hour. For using it as a winter base, see our winter ski base article. Note that fireworks are not held in winter, and please take care when driving in snow.

Considering a longer stay? The longer you stay, the better the value at our official rates. Please check availability from the availability search.