Lake Shikotsu, which boasts some of the best water quality in Japan, is a caldera lake belonging to Shikotsu-Toya National Park. It has an elongated, cocoon-like shape running east to west, with a major axis of 13 km and a minor axis of 5 km. The lake has a circumference of approximately 40 km, a maximum depth of about 360 m, and an average depth of about 265 m. It boasts the second greatest depth in Japan, after Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture, and is also known as Japan's northernmost ice-free lake.

On the lakeshore, there is a shopping area where you can eat kokanee salmon dishes, a specialty of Lake Shikotsu, as well as the Lake Shikotsu Visitor Center, which introduces the surrounding nature in an accessible and easy-to-understand way.

In the surrounding area, beautiful nature remains, including Lake Okotanpe and mountains exceeding 1,000 m in elevation such as Mt. Fuppushi, Mt. Eniwa, and Mt. Tarumae. In addition, you can enjoy Lake Shikotsu Onsen, Marukoma Onsen, as well as activities like camping, canoeing, sightseeing cruises, and boating. Furthermore, seasonal events such as the Lake Shikotsu Water Festival and the Chitose-Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival are also held.