Home ACJS/Aichi OCJS/Online Japan Guide FAQ Network Databases Contact Us Multimedia Log in                                         yamasa.org / home / japan / english / destinations / hokkaido / otaru - Sapporo City    -     Ní thuigim thú

Destinations... Japan Travel Guide The Yamasa Institute

Sitemap | Search Tips | Help Desk

Edited by: Declan Murphy Recommended: Suggested Itineraries Favorite Hokkaido moments... Best ways to get there Hokkaido Photogallery Newsgroups: fj.rec.travel.japan, Alt-FAQ Bulletin Boards: Fun/Clubs/Nightlife Accommodation/Discounts Practise your Kanji?

Otaru is a port town of about 145,000 people in western Hokkaido located on the northern tip of the Shiribeshi district of Hokkaido on the Sea of Japan side of the island, facing Ishikari-wan Bay. This city was formerly called Otarunai (meaning "River of Sands" in Ainu) and was later renamed to Otaru (meaning "small barrel" in Japanese). A fishing village was established here during the Tokugawa period as an outpost of the Wajinchi district administered from the castletown of Matsumae. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains, while the fourth faces Ishikari Bay.

Otaru Canal

Otaru prospered as an economic hub and herring port in the late 19th century, and is relatively close to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. It is easily accessed by train, and has become something of a playground for Sapporoans. The coastal area is part of the Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru-Beach Quasi-National Park and areas such as the Otamoi Cliffs attract many tourists due to the beautiful scenery. The nearby hot springs such as Asarigawa onsen and ski & snowboard resorts such as Sapporo Teine, Snowcruise Onze and others are amongst the closest to Sapporo. The snowfields are favored by Sapporoans due to the deep snow cover and late night skiing. Snowcruise Onze is particularly popular because the night scenery from the top of the mountain includes broad sweeping views of the lights of Sapporo. Enjoy the views then snowboard down. If you are planning to ski in Niseko and are driving, Otaru is a useful stop if you head to the Niseko area via route 5 or 393.

Otaru Canal is the symbol of this city. The gaslights and stone warehouses along the canal producing a beautiful nightscape popular with young couples. There are many cafes, museums, restaurants & shops as well as the brewery restaurant belonging to Otaru Beer. Painters and other artists set up their easels etc. Its a good place to take a Japanese partner to for a date.

Otaru Canal

The canal zone boomed in the Meiji Period when Otaru was the only significant port on Hokkaido's Sea of Japan coast and after the Hokkaido Development Office was established in nearby Sapporo in 1869. From the latter part of the 19th century to the late 1920s the city boomed as a commercial center, and the major firms and zaibatsu that played a large part in the development of Hokkaido (and the rest of Japan) such as Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, and Yasuda (now the Otaru News building) built their branch offices (usually impressive western-style edifices) around this area. At one stage Otaru was nicknamed the "Wall Street of the north", probably by someone who hadn't visited New York. Until the city practically destroyed its own economy through overfishing, it was incredibly prosperous. These buildings were designed by first-class architects of the period, reflecting the splendor of this city and its ambitions about this time. The most representative is the renaissance-style Bank of Japan building designed by the famous architect Tatsuno Kingo, who was also responsible for Tokyo Station. Most of these buildings have changed ownership - for example, the former Mitsui Bank Otaru branch office and the former Nippon Yusen Otaru Branch Office. The latter has been designated an important national cultural asset.

The canal zone is still the symbol of Otaru. During the most prosperous period, over 400 barges transported cargo from the ships to the warehouses. Old brick and stone warehouses, some used today as the Otaru City Museum, line both sides of the canal. Canals are fairly rare in Japan, with very few being built prior to the Meiji period. The construction of canals began in earnest in the last few years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, but transport economics was already favoring the use of larger ships, longer wharves and deeper ports, and most importantly railways. Ships no longer needed to be unloaded using small boats and barges, so most canals, including all of the extensive canals built at Hakodate were soon buried. The city paved a section along the canal and installed 32 gaslights (now electric). The warehouses have been refurbished into shops and museums, making this zone a new tourist area that is particularly popular with visiting bus tours. It is worth a look and in good weather is a nice stroll in any season, but the crowds can be a bit irritating and many of the shops are best described as tourist traps. Find out where the locals shop if you are looking for things that aren't souvenirs.

Otaru Canal

If you walk along the canal in the opposite direction from the "gaslight" area, there are very few people. The canal here is wider, and the buildings in the background less photogenic than the old stone warehouses, but the area is interesting if you can read the kanji (the boats of the Japan coast guard, maritime school and others are moored here) or have an interest in the sea. This is the only section of the canal that is still "working". From various point along the canal you can see the small harbour. Often you will be able to see small Russian fishing trawlers loaded to the gills with second hand cars and other items to trade in eastern Siberia. In the early 1990's, it wasn't unusual to see cars half dangling over the sides of the trawlers in ports such as Otaru and Wakkanai. Conditions have improved and now the cars are often placed on steel girders welded onto the vessels to create platforms. It is a little crude, but seems to work when the seas aren't rough. Trade with Russians has helped rejuvenate the economies of local Hokkaido ports such as Otaru, sometimes not without a few problems on the way.

The average winter temperature in Otaru is warmer than in the inland areas of Hokkaido. The difference in temperatures is rather small. Cool breezes come from off the sea in summer, and powder snow makes for ideal skiing in the nearby resorts in winter. A large variety of fresh, high quality seafood is available in Otaru. Sushi bars and local restaurants are particularly popular for their tasty and generous servings, particularly on Sushiya street near JR Otaru Station. Other favourite foods in Otaru are ramen, buckwheat noodles, wine, microbrew beers and sake. There is a wide range of accommodation ranging from the Otaru Youth Hostel to the Otaru Hilton.

Mount Tengu Ropeway

Otaru is often referred to as "the town of hills", because there is little in the way of flat land. It is a bit difficult to get around on a bicycle, and school students are responsible for one particular street north of the railway being named Jigoku-zaka (the hill from hell) - it is a very steep slope. The best place to appreciate view the Otaru cityscape and Ishikari Bay is at the top of the Mount Tengu Ropeway. A tengu is a ghastly looking goblin like creature that lives in the mountains and characterized by its big protruding nose.

Mt. Tengu-yama behind Otaru is a reasonably popular ski resort in winter. It does not attract the number of ski and snowboard enthusiasts that nearby Niseko, Teine or Sapporo Kokusai manage, but is worth a visit. The views are great and cover the whole of Otaru City and the port.

Between April and mid-December, the ropeway is open between 09:20 and 17:00, though hours may be extended during summer and on holidays. A round-trip ticket will cost 850 yen, 430 yen for children. Between mid-December and late March, the ropeway is open daily until 21:00 to service the Mount Tengu Skiing Ground. From JR Otaru station, take the Chuo bus bound for the Tenguyama Ropeway.

Otaru Glassware

Glassware is another trademark of Otaru. Many various glass workshops are located throughout the city. The Kitaichi Glassworks Company is a traditional maker of glassware and a local leader in the industry. It was established as the Asahara Glassworks in 1901. At first, it mainly manufactured oil lamps, a necessity among the settlers of Hokkaido, then moved into making the glass buoys used in fishing during the great fishing period. The company name was changed to Kitaichi Garasu (glassworks) in 1971, and began making glass assessories and crafts.

At the Kitaichi Glass Emporium No. 3 in Sakai machi (7-26, take the Otarus Sasaku Bus)), glass crafts and 167 lamps from around the world create a fantasy atmosphere as they flicker in the Kitaichi Hall. Entry is free. It is open daily between 9:00 am - 6:00 pm (until 7:00pm on Fri and Sat during summer). Entry is free (Tel: 0134-33-1993).

The Glass Studio in Otaru is a glass-blowing studio established by glass craftsmen and women and ambitious young apprentices. In addition to displaying and selling glassware, the studio lets visitor observe manufacturing processes, and provides the chance to experience hands-on glass blowing and sandblasting. It is located at Mogami 2-16-16 (Tel. 0134-33-9390) and open between 10:00am~7:00pm(until 6:20pm in winter). There is no hands-on glass blowing on Tues. 1,800 yen per person. To get there, Take Chuo "#9 Mt. Tengu Ropeway" Bus from Otaru JR Station.

The Otaru Unga Kogei-kan (Otaru Canal Craft Hall), located along the canal and marked by a fancy sign made of stained glass. The distinguished architecture of the shop, with its 2 domes that look out over Otaru Canal and Ishikari Bay, blends well with the antique-style town. There visitors can watch as flaming glass transform into different shapes and sizes of beautiful art. Here also, they can take a try at sandblasting which is a step in the process of decorating translucent glass. The completed pieces are displayed for sale on several floors of the building. Location: Ironai 2-1-19. Tel.0134-29-1111. Open - 9:30am~6:00pm(9:00am~7:00pm in summer), Studio Work shop until 5:00pm. Entrance free. 8 min walk from Otaru Station.

Nishin Goten (Herring Mansion)

From the Meiji (1868 - 1912) to the Taisho (1912 - 1926) era, Otaru thrived from a booming herring industry. During that era, fishery owners competed by having extravagant homes built for themselves. These residences, which were also used for fish processing, were nicknamed Nishin Goten (Herring Mansion). The largest existing Nishin Goten took 7 years to build and was completed in 1897 in Tomari-mura Village. Material used for this home consists of Hokkaido fir and cypress wood from the Tohoku region. The power and wealth of the fishermen during the height of the herring era is reflected in the amount of wood used for the historic residence which is enough to supply construction of 20 standard houses. Decadence was order of the day. However the industry destroyed itself, overfishing until the herring stocks dropped below sustainable replenishment rates. The massive canneries, fishing fleet and the cash that created the so called "Northern Wall Street" inevitably shared the same fate as the herring.

The building, which was moved to Shukutsu in Otaru, became the first residential building to be designated as a Hokkaido tangible cultural asset. The mansion is now open to the public and displays tools used during the time as well as references and photographs. Admission: adults 200 yen / Open everyday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. early April - late November / 0134-22-1038. A 20-min. bus ride from JR Otaru Station.

Ishihara Yujiro Memorial Hall

Otaru Beer

Ishihara Yujiro, Otaru's most famous citizen, was a Japanese cinematic legend of the 1950's and 1960's who embodied the rebellious youth movement during that period. Often compared to Elvis in terms of pop culture impact in Japan, Ishihara appeared in as many as six films a year during his peak between 1956 and 1962. He also had a successful singing career but had an indulgent lifestyle that ultimately led to health problems and relatively early death in 1987 at age 52 after a long battle with liver cancer. In 1999, as testimony to his enduring popularity, 170,000 fans showed up for his 13th year memorial service, significant in Buddhism.

The Ishihara Yujiro Memorial Mall (Tel: 34-1188) was opened in July 1991, displaying many of his personal possessions and showing his films and TV shows to a steady stream of visitors. The hall is open daily between 09:00 and 19:00 with an entry fee of 1,500 yen, 300 yen for children between 6 and 12 years old. Take Otaru Marine-go and get off at Otaru Port Marina Stop, then walk 1 minute.

Music Boxes

Otaru Beer

The music box befits this city of history and romance. Otaru Orgel Emporium is Japan's largest shop specializing in music-boxes. Hundreds of models are on display, both large and small, including early 19th century antique examples for sale. Location: Sumiyoshi-cho 4-1. Tel.0134-22-1108. 9:00am~6:00pm every day (until 7:00pm in summer). Take the Otaru Sansaku Bus.

Otaru Orgel has a second emporium dedicated to precious antique music-boxes. Exhibits including elaborately mechanized clowns and large-scale pipe organs provide a memorable visit. Location: Sakai-machi 6-13. Tel.0134-34-3915. 9:00am~6:00pm every day(until 7:00pm in summer). Also on the Otaru Sansaku Bus route.

Kaimeirou is a shop was refurbished from a Taisho-era (early 1910s to mid-1920s) building and has a collection of antique music boxes from such countries as Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the United States. You can hear a concert of these music boxes for 20 minutes. Location: Ironai 1-2-17. Tel: 0134-23-6505. Open 9:30am~8:00pm every day (until 9:00pm in summer). Adults ¥525. 10 min walk from Otaru JR Sta.Station.

Steam Clock

Otaru Beer

On June 25,1994, the world's largest and second ever steam clock was installed in front of Otaru Orugoru-do on the Marchen intersection. The British-style bronze clock measures 5.5 meters high and weighs 1.5 tons. It was assembled by Mr. Raymond Sanders, who also made the first steam clock located in Gastown, Vancouver, Canada. A boiler sends steam into the clock, whose steam whistle blows hourly to tell the time. Every 15 minutes,the clock plays the same melody as the chimes of Westminster Abbey in London.

How to get there

From Sapporo:   A half hour train ride from the city center or 70 minutes from New Chitose airport. By bus, it takes an 1 hour.

Tours - The Japan Discovery Tours visit Otaru.
Click here for more information regarding when Discovery visits this destination.

Photographs and contributions

Otaru Onsen

Do you have good photographs or a story to share about Hokkaido? Please share it with us.

Bulletin Boards & Newsgroups

Fun/Clubs/Nightlife
Accommodation/Discounts
fj.rec.travel.japan, Alt-FAQ

Disclaimer and Request:

Opening hours, prices, booking procedures, schedules etc are subject to changes beyond our control. This site is just a guide, and we advise that you always check and confirm in advance. Suggestions, additions and correction of errors are always welcome. Please contact us.