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Otaru is a port city on the coast of the Sea of Japan in northern Shiribeshi Sub-prefecture.
The city is located on the northwest of Sapporo, about half an hour by train. Otaru's early modern history as a small harbor city started in 1871, when Japan's Meiji government opened a colonization office in Sapporo. Rapid development followed with expanding trades, especially after a railway was built in 1880 between Otaru and Sapporo, as the first railway in Hokkaido. |
Otaru City
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Once busy with exporting coal and trades with Russia, today's Otaru has a thriving tourism industry. The city attracts a large number of Japanese tourists as well as Russian visitors.
Most of the attractions are found in the city center surrounding the Otaru port. Its historical buildings, restaurants and shops are within easy walking distance. Otaru Canal, 10 minutes’ walk from the Otaru Station, was the central part of the city's busy port in the first half of the 20th century. |
Otaru Canal
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The canal became obsolete when modern dock facilities allowed for direct unloading of larger vessels.
The canal has been developed as a walkway since, while the warehouses were transformed into Museums, Shops and Restaurants. Otaru Canal is lit at night by old fashioned gas lamps and walkway lights, providing a romantic atmosphere. |
Otaru Canal Night View
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In winter, there is the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival "Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi", held every February that will truly warm the cold winter nights in Otaru.
It features paths illuminated with lanterns made of ice. You can also view many ice lanterns clustered along the abandoned railway a few blocks away from the canal.The most scenic view is from the Otaru Canal. There are also tickets on sale during the event period which let you enjoy eating sushi, sweets or noodles inexpensively as you walk around. |
Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
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Otaru City Museum is made up of two separate museums. One is in an old warehouse building near the Otaru Canal, which covers broadly the history and nature of Otaru and it includes pictures, films and digital archives.
The Railway Museum, a little further down the road is located on the grounds of a railway yard, where multiple full size trains from various periods are exhibited. The museum focuses on the development history of the Otaru’s railroads with exhibits and dioramas. |
Otaru City Museum
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Sakaimachi Street a short walk from the Otaru Canal, is an attractive, preserved merchant street.
The street was a place for trading and shipping companies where they constructed impressive Western style buildings to house their offices. Many of the buildings along Sakaimachi Street have since been converted into museums, boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes making it a perfect place for a stroll. |
Bank of Japan Museum
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Part of this hilly town is on the lower slopes of Tenguyama, a good place for skiing and other winter sports and one that is accessible via Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway.
Tenguyama Observation Deck is one of the top 3 places to head to, to catch a breathtaking view of Otaru at night. The other two would be Kenashiyama Observation Deck and Asahi Observation Deck which is located close to Otaru station. For a guidebook visit Tourist Information Centers. |
Tenguyama
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Otaru AccessTrain - Otaru is a major station on the JR Hakodate Line from Sapporo, with very frequent train runs "takes about 30 minutes by rapid train or 45 minutes by local train".
Some of the trains continue on to New Chitose Airport. The complete journey on the Airport Rapid takes about 70 minutes. Bus - Buses are operated by Chuo Bus and JR Hokkaido Bus "takes about 1 hour". |
Otaru Station
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Ferry - Otaru is one of Hokkaido's key ferry ports, and the closest to Sapporo.
Shin-Nihonkai Ferry operates a daily service between Otaru and Niigata "takes about 18 hours" and between Otaru and Maizuru near Kyoto "takes about 20 hours". Both services are overnight, and private cabins are available for a higher fare. It’s about 10 minutes by taxi from Otaru Ferry Terminal to Otaru Station. |
Shin-Nihonkai Ferry
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Otaru Muslim Friendly AccommodationHere you can search for airline tickets and hotels worldwide. The Jetradar search engine compare ticket prices provided by over 200 booking agencies.
So far there is only one Muslim friendly hotel in Otaru. The Hotellook search engine here can help you for random hotel reservation in the area. It compares prices from 70 hotel booking services. It show you the lowest prices available at the time. Fill out the details and press search. You can also search with the Hotel Map below which shows hotel prices and location on the map. |
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There are Vacation Rentals in the area which suit travelers who prefer to rent a living space, especially for larger groups, families or those who seek a more local, everyday life experience. If you are traveling light and looking for a more economical place to stay Hostels are a good option.
If you would like to rent a car use the search engine here and book a car in advance. Fill out the details; pickup and drop-off places, date and time, and press search. You will be redirected to Rental Cars website where a list of available cars will be shown to you to choose from. |
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Otaru-shi - Shiribeshi Sub-prefecture, Hokkaido Prefecture
