[Wakasaimo Honpo Head Office around Lake Toya-] Wakasaimo Looks More Real Than Real Potato

Wakasaimo Honpo

Wakasaimo Honpo (わかさいも本舗) is a long-established Japanese confectionery store based at the lakeside of Lake Toya. Mr. Hakosu Wakasa (若狭 函寿), the founder, used to start selling Wakasaimo (わかさいも) in 1930. Now all of Hokkaido people know it as an icon of the Wakasaimo Honpo. The Wakasaimo has been standard as a souvenir of Toyako Onsen (洞爺湖温泉) from old days. Except it, they also sell baked confectioneries, cookies and Japanese bun filled with sweet bean paste. Some branches open a business in Rusutsu, Date, Muroran, Noboribetsu, Sapporo and New Chitose Airport. The Wakasaimo Honpo also runs Choise (ちょいす), conveyor belt sushi restaurant chains, and has French Restaurant "Cote Dor" that got one star in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition and MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2017 Special Edition, Usuzan Ropeway and Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway as group companies.

Lake Toya

Lake Toya (洞爺湖) between Toyako town and Sobetsu town located in the northwestern part of Muroran city is the 3rd largest caldera lake in Japan after Lake Kussharo and Lake Shikotsu, and was born by large-scale eruptions 110,000 years ago. In Shikotsu-Toya National Park, the perimeter of the lake is about 43 km, and 58 sculptures are located around the lake, and those create scenes in accord with the lake. Geographical features of mountains and the lake have been authorized in the World Geopark. The lake is one of major tourist attractoions in Hokkaido, and a lot of international tourists come. Windsor Hotels Toya Resort & Spa that 34th G8 Summit (Hokkaido Toyako Summit) was held at is famous, too. Around the Lake Toya, there are Toyako Onsen Resort (洞爺湖温泉) that is a sightseeing base, Toya Silo Observation Deck (サイロ展望台), Ukimido Park (浮見堂公園), Toya Onsen (洞爺温泉), Nakatoya Onsen (仲洞爺温泉), Nakatoya Camping Ground (仲洞爺キャンプ場), Green Stay Toyako (グリーンステイ洞爺湖), Takarada Camping Ground (水辺の里財田キャンプ場), Sobetsu-cho Onsen (壮瞥町温泉), Mt. Showa-shinzan (昭和新山) and Mt. Usu (有珠山). Read More

Toya Onsen

Toya Onsen (洞爺温泉) is a hot spring place in the north side of Lake Toya (洞爺湖). Toya Ikoi-no-Ie (洞爺憩いの家) is built on a hill at around 110 m above sea level, and is beside old Hotel Toya Sunshine. Ukimido Park (浮見堂公園) that is one of 8 beauty spots around the Lake Toya and Akebono Park (曙公園) are around here, and those are well-known as a place famous for cherry blossoms. In addition, Toya Water Station (とうや水の駅), Silo Viewing Platform (サイロ展望台) and Takarada Campground (財田キャンプ場) are relatively near here. Read More

Although there are various theories, it is said that a root of the Wakasaimo is Wakasayaimo of Wakasaya-Shinise (若狭屋老舗) run by a same family in Suttu. In addition, Wakasaya Honpo (わかさや本舗) run by a same family in the Sapporo sales Imofumi (いも風味). The various potate-like sweets makee me understand those were popular at that time. My visited place is the Toyako Head Office near Toyako Visitor Center (洞爺湖ビジターセンター). Since the head office is built at the lakeside, a good view can be enjoyed. The building is large, a factory, a souvenir shop and a cafe are on the 1st floor, and Restaurant "Sendoan (仙堂庵)" opens a business on the 2nd floor. A hand bath for free is built in front of the entrance of the building.

List of Means of Transportation

A local bus runs between the Toyako Onsen and the Sapporo, and "Iburi-go (いぶり号)", an express bus, runs between the Toyako Onsen and the Noboribetsu Onsen. Refer to following the means of the transportation. As for car rental comparison websites, you can compare vehicle rental prices on Tabi-Plaza Rental Car Reservation (旅ぷらざレンタカー予約), Jalan Rental Car (じゃらんレンタカー) and Rakutem Travel Rental Car (楽天トラベルレンタカー).

Donan Bus(道南バス)	From Sapporo to Toyako Onsen	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Donan Bus(道南バス)	From Toyako Onsen to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Donan Bus(道南バス)	From Noboribetsu Onsen to Toyako Onsen	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Donan Bus(道南バス)	From Toyako Onsen to Noboribetsu Onsen	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Station Rent-a-car(駅レンタカー)	Their office is at Toya Station	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

Shikotsu-Toya National Park

Shikotsu-Toya National Park (支笏洞爺国立公園) has Lake Shikotsu (支笏湖), the 2nd largest caldera lake in Japan, and Lake Toya (洞爺湖), the 3rd largest caldera lake in the Japan, in the southwestern part of Hokkaido. In the national park, there are unique mountains such as Mt. Usu (有珠山), Mt. Tarumae (樽前山) and Mt. Showa-shinzan (昭和新山), and here is a tourist attraction on behalf of Hokkaido containing Noboribetsu Onsen (登別温泉) and Jozankei Onsen (定山渓温泉) in the 3 major onsen in the Hokkaido. Because it is easy to access the tourist attracions from New Chitose Airport and Sapporo city, the Shikotsu-Toya National Park gets popularity from tourists. The Shikotsu-Toya National Park is roughly divided into 5 areas, Yoteizan Area, Toyako Area, Noboribetsu Area, Shikotsuko Area and Jozankei Area. The area is 99,473 ha in total, it is very vast. It blows my mind why it adds the Yoteizan Area and the Jozankei Area, but I googled it, but I could not find. Read More

Wakasaimo

I visited here around 11:00 on a weekday. A lots of customers came. Here was a popular tourist facility after all. The Toyako Head Office was the only store that customers could sample "Imoten (いもてん)", fried Wakasaimo, in the Wakasaimo Honpo. So I guessed that a lots of customers came. I wanted to eat the Wakasaimo, a traditional Japanese confectionery, so I purchased a pack of the Wakasaimo. The price was JPY 648. A shop clerk allowed me to eat my Wakasaimo at the cafe, so I decided to eat it there.

Because it had been a long time since I had eaten this, I had a new discovery. I had thought that the Wakasaimo was sweet potato baked by soy sauce. * Imo means "Potato" in English. But it was wrong. I found a shocking papper that potatoes were not used at all. Bean jam made from beans was used to resemble mashed potatoes, and Kezuri Konbu was used as muscles of potatoes. Its appearance looked just a small potato. A slogan of the Waksaimo was that it looked more real than a real potato. The texture was same as the potato. It might be said that it was just the sweet potato. The taste of the Wakasaimo reminds a lot of Hokkaido people of their childhood. Thanks for the tsaty sweets!

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations around the Lake Toya. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Toyako Onsen

Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace(洞爺湖万世閣 ホテルレイクサイドテラス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Kohantei(洞爺湖畔亭)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Gokirakutei(洞爺湖畔 ごきらく亭)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Kanko Hotel(洞爺観光ホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Grand Toya(ホテル グランドトーヤ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hokkai Hotel(北海ホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Sansui Hotel Kafu(洞爺山水ホテル 和風)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel New Toyako(ホテル ニュー洞爺湖)	Only Tel:+81-142-75-2818
Toya Green Hotel(洞爺グリーンホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Sun Palace(洞爺サンパレス リゾート＆スパ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
The Lake View Toya Nonokaze Resort(ザ レイクビュー TOYA 乃の風リゾート)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Daiwa Ryokan Annex(大和旅館 アネックス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toyako Onsen Hotel Hanabi(洞爺温泉 ホテル華美)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Daiwa Ryokan(大和旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kitsutsuki Canadian Club(きつつき カナディアンクラブ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Petit Hotel Koizumi(西山高原プチホテル恋泉)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
The Lake Suite Ko no Sumika(ザ・レイクスイート 湖の栖)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Second house TOYA(セカンドハウスToya)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
TOYA HOME Kairou(TOYA HOME廻廊)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Guest House COCO(ゲストハウス 湖湖)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Guest house HiDE(ゲストハウス HiDE)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten

Sobetsu-cho Onsen

Onsen Ryokan Ikoi-so(温泉旅館 いこい荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Toya Kaawanami(洞爺かわなみ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Nakanoshima(ホテル中の島)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Showa Shinzan Youth Hostel(昭和新山ユースホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Ono(ペンションおおの)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
レイクサイドクラシックハウス チャイハナ(Lakeside Classic House Chaihana)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten

Toyako

The Windsor Hotel TOYA(ザ・ウィンザーホテル 洞爺リゾート＆スパ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Cocoa(ホテルココア)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Lakehouse At Toyako(レイクハウスアット洞爺湖)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
WE Hotel Toya(WE Hotel Toya)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Phoenix Toya Club(フェニックス洞爺クラブ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
LAKE TOYA Great View Log Cabin(LAKE TOYA グレートビューログキャビン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
lakeside villa kohansanso(lakeside villa 湖畔山莊)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Takarada Campsite(水辺の里財田キャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Lakeside Campsite(湖畔キャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten