| Admission | ¥300 |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 Information center closes at 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 013-4221-258 |
| Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, lockers available, sled activities (winter), paid parking close by |
| Location / Getting There | The museum is located right by Otaru Canal. It is a 10 minute walk south from Otaru train station. From the exit, walk down the main road to the canal. The museum is on the left, along route 454 2 Chome-1-20 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0031 |
Otaru City General Museum Canal Museum has an extensive collection that introduces the history of Otaru City including information on the natural environment. The exhibition includes 20,000 objects and materials in its collection. The museum is located by Otaru Canal and can be found in the ‘former Otaru warehouse’. This beautiful building was constructed in 1887. The museum itself is a historical icon. In 2007, the museum was opened as well as the Otaru Information Center which has direct access to the museum.
The first exhibition room looks at the history of Otaru from its origins connected with the Ainu. There are materials related to the Ainu as well as the herring fishing industry. The latter part of the exhibition looks at a cityscape of Otaru during the Taisho era (1912 – 1926). There are some hands on exhibits here. The second exhibition room looks at the extensive flora and fauna of the Otaru area. These fascinating exhibits include a skeleton of a giant sea lion. Apart from the museum, there is a nice small coffee shop located in the information center. The information center is recognizable by its champagne glass pyramid. This room as tonnes of information about Otaru. Very useful for tourists.
