On the shores of Lake Toro, within Kushiro Wetlands National Park, lies an area of beautiful nature registered under the Ramsar Convention. Here, a unique facility was started to offer “only here” experiences. Today, we introduce THE GEEK, a one-of-a-kind establishment that combines a sauna and a craft hostel, located just a one-minute walk from Toro Station.

Toro Station is about 30 minutes from Kushiro Station on the JR Senmo Line. From there, a one-minute walk up a small hill brings you to the craft hostel, THE GEEK.

The facility opened in 2020. The owner, Keisuke Tatsukawa, who was born in Hyogo Prefecture and raised in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, fell in love with Toro at first sight during a visit. With a desire to convey the charm of this land through “space creation,” he renovated a former youth hostel and launched it as a “craft hostel.”

The term “craft hostel” may not be familiar, but it embodies Mr. Tatsukawa’s vision: “Just like ‘craft beer,’ which is handmade by small breweries using traditional methods and unique recipes, I want to create a hostel that values its space and where you can see the ‘face’ of the people who created it.”

The Kushiro Wetlands seen from the window. A beautiful landscape unfolds like a painting in a frame.

The formative experience that sparked Mr. Tatsukawa’s passion for creating spaces occurred at the Ace Hotel in Portland, which he visited while studying abroad in the United States as a university student.

He witnessed a scene where local elderly couples, LGBTQ individuals, students, high-status travelers from Europe and America with titles like “CEO,” and people of different religious faiths all gathered in one place. They naturally accepted their differences, and before he knew it, everyone in the room was having a great time together. Mr. Tatsukawa says he still vividly remembers the surprise and excitement of that moment.

He returned to Japan with the thought, “Someday, I want to create a space like this in Japan,” and after several years, he brought that vision to life with THE GEEK.

Passing through the entrance of THE GEEK, which is filled with Mr. Tatsukawa’s passion andこだわり, you’ll find a chill lounge exclusively for guests. It’s a cozy, at-home space where visitors can relax as they please.

In this lounge space, they offer a cafe menu and alcoholic beverages, including the award-winning Akkeshi Whisky, which has won top prizes in international competitions. They also serve a simple course meal featuring local ingredients, from appetizers to main dishes and desserts, creating a space where you can enjoy the unique flavors of the land.

Dishes using cheese, milk, butter, and yogurt from Shibecha Town, one of Japan's leading dairy farming areas, are also served.

“Akkeshi Whisky,” brewed since 2016 with a commitment to traditional Scottish methods.

We also recommend authentic Irish coffee made from carefully selected green beans, and coffee cocktails like Mint Mojito Latte and Irish Whiskey Latte.

The second-floor guest rooms come in three types: the “Wetlands Room” with a panoramic view of the Kushiro Wetlands, the “Japanese-style Room,” and the “Dormitory Room.” This accommodates a variety of stay styles, from those who want to relax in a private room to those who wish to share a space with fellow travelers.

The “Wetlands Room,” from which you can sometimes see Mount Akan-Fuji and the twin peaks of Mount Meakan and Mount Oakan on a clear day.

The “Japanese-style Room” with a Japanese taste incorporating tatami mats.

The custom-made beds in the “Dormitory Room” are separated by curtains, and each bed has a light and a power outlet at the head.

Furthermore, the water from the taps in the guest rooms is sourced from the Nishibetsu River, an underground stream from Lake Mashu, which boasts the highest transparency in Japan. Tasting this natural water, which only the 7,000 residents of Shibecha Town can drink, is another precious experience.

Mr. Tatsukawa’s dedication doesn’t stop at the facility itself. The activities, which take advantage of its location within a national park, are also filled with the unique charm of this land.

First, there’s canoeing. The area around THE GEEK is known as a “mecca for canoeing,” and many of the canoe courses overlooking the Kushiro Wetlands start from Lake Toro. Starting from Lake Toro, you proceed along the Arekinai River and merge into the Kushiro River. The path, meandering slowly through the wetlands towards Kushiro Port, offers a fantastical landscape that will be deeply etched in your memory.

Also, reflecting Shibecha Town’s history as a horse breeding area that supplied candidate horses for the military during the Meiji era, “horse trekking” is included as one of the activities. The trekking course at “Heart Ranch,” a partner tourist ranch of THE GEEK, spans a vast area of 150,000 tsubo (about 49.5 hectares), equivalent to 10 Tokyo Domes. With various courses to walk, it’s an enjoyable experience no matter how many times you visit.

In addition, there are other activities like “cheese fondue” using cheese from the Okhotsk area, one of Japan’s leading dairy regions, and “smelt fishing,” where you drill a hole in the frozen lake during winter. All of these are experiences that have a compelling reason to be done in “this land.”

In the neighboring town of Okoppe, they are the only domestic producer of Gruyère and Emmental cheese, known as the “king of cheeses” in Switzerland.

“Ice Lake Camping” on the frozen surface of Lake Toro. An activity available only for a few months a year when the lake is frozen.

Many other activities are also available. If you want to find an activity that suits your interests, it might be a good idea to ask the staff at THE GEEK.

In the sauna room, which has a wood-burning stove modeled after a locomotive, you can enjoy an authentic löyly.

Among the many activities, the one Mr. Tatsukawa is particularly passionate about is the “sauna.” In fact, it was set up as a highlight to attract people when launching the hostel.

The sight of a steam locomotive running through the snowy landscape is breathtaking.

With the thought, “If I’m going to build a sauna, I want to offer an experience unique to this area,” he explored the region and noticed that it was the only place in Hokkaido where a steam locomotive (SL) runs. When he promoted it as a “sauna where you can see a steam locomotive while cooling down,” it became so popular that tourists, including those from overseas, started calling it the “SL Sauna.”

Beyond the pier-style wooden deck, there is a cold water bath in the shade of birch trees.

The sauna itself is also original, with features like being enjoyable in a climate similar to sauna’s homeland, Finland—where summer temperatures exceed 30°C for a few days and winter temperatures drop below -20°C—and using the underground stream from Japan’s clearest lake, Lake Mashu, for the cold water bath.

While THE GEEK is sprinkled with a wide variety of special touches in its facilities and activities, the underlying philosophy is consistent.

“I hope THE GEEK becomes a gateway for people to experience the history and culture of this land,” says Mr. Tatsukawa. For those who want to delve deeper into the Toro area and the Kushiro Wetlands, with fun and comfort as their entry point, THE GEEK will be an unparalleled guide.