Otaru boomed in the late Meiji Era years as a commercial hub and the only major port on the Japan Sea side of Hokkaido. It is also next to the capital of Sapporo and thus saw a rapid increase in development as Sapporo developed. The Canal area is the main area of attraction in Otaru and can easily be reached from the main train station by a 5 – 10 min. walk.
In commemoration of one of Japans most popular actors and an Otaru citizen, the Ishihara Yujiro Memorial Mall was opened in July 1991. Mr Yujiro Ishihara was a movie star (and singing star) in the fifties and sixties and made more than 30 films. The hall has many of his personal possessions on display and also has screenings of his films and TV shows. He died at the early age of 52 due to liver cancer. His 13th memorial service in 1999 attracted over 170 000 people. Top
| Admission | Adults ¥1500 Children 6 yo. – 12 yo. ¥300 |
| Opening Hours | Daily 9 am – 8 pm April to October Daily 9 am – 6 pm November to March |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | (0134) 34-1188 |
| Getting There | From JR Otaru Station take the Otaru Marine bus and get off at Otaru Port Marina Stop (approx. 15 min.). It’s about walk 1 minute from the bus stop. |
For the best view of Otaru and the surrounding area of Ishikari Bay and one of the top three best views in Hokkaido head to Mt Tengu Ropeway. The Tengu is a creature with a huge nose. It is said to be lucky if you can pat the Tengu’s nose. The ropeway also gives access to ski areas in the winter. At the top of the ropeway there is a restaurant and souvenir shop. Top
| Admission | Round Trip – Summer Period Adult ¥1 000 Children ¥500 Round Trip – Winter Period Adult ¥740 Children ¥370 |
| Opening Hours | Daily 9 am to 5 pm, December to March Daily 9:30 am – 9 pm, April to October Daily 9:30am – 5 pm, October to November |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | (0134) 33 – 7381 |
| Getting There | From JR Otaru station, take the Chuo bus for the Tenguyama Ropeway. |
Otaru is also well known for it’s music boxes and the Otaru Music Box Museum is well worth a look. The museum, shop and workshop consists of five different buildings all located within a 2 minute walk of each other. The main two museum buildings are the “Otaru Music Box Museum : Main Building” and the “No2. Otaru Music Box Museum : Antique Museum.” The main building displays hundreds of different kinds of music boxes, both large and small. Here with the guidance of staff, you can also build your own music box in about 20 min. (music box must dry for further 30 – 40 min. before you can take it home.) As the name suggests the second museum is full of antique music boxes from the 19th century onwards. There are also rare examples for sale. The last three stores contain a different variety of goods and crafts for purchase. One building is dedicated to animal toys, another to glassware and the final one to music boxes made in the shape of modern characters such as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty etc. Top
| Admission | Music Box Making Fee ¥1 800 |
| Opening Hours | All Stores 9 am to 6 pm (7 pm in the summer period) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | Main Building Ph : 0134 – 22 – 1108 No2. Building : Antique Museum 0134 – 34 – 3915 |
| Getting There | From Sapporo Station take the Airport Express bound for Otaru and get off at Minami-Otaru Station. From here walk in the direction of the harbor approx 5 min. Main Building 4 – 1 Sumiyoshi-cho Otaru City No2. Building : Antique Museum 6 – 13 Sakaimachi Otaru City |
Nishin Goten (Herring Mansion)
Otaru’s herring industry boomed until the late 1950s. The wealth created by these fishermen played a major role in the development of Otaru and its surrounding area. The wealthy fisherman built large residences for living and fish processing. One of these residences and herring processing plants is now a Hokkaido Tangible Cultural Asset. It was the first residential building to achieve such status. The building which was moved from its original place to Otaru, took seven years to build and was completed in 1897. The building has been turned into a museum displaying various tools and artifacts from the period. Top
| Admission | Adults ¥200 |
| Opening Hours | Daily 9 am to 5 pm early April – Late November |
| Closed | Winter |
| Contact | 0134 – 22 – 1038 |
| Getting There | From Otaru station board a bus for the aquarium. About a 20 min. bus trip. Cost ¥200 (Please have correct change) |
Otaru Glassware is also well known throughout Japan and has had a long history. The glassworks originally made lanterns and other products for the first settlers in the region however, as the town expanded and the herring industry sprang to life the focus was changed to making glass buoys. When the herring industry suffered its major decline in the late 1950s the glassworks began producing ornamental pieces for direct sale to consumers and tourists. Today Otaru’s glass industry is thriving and many beautiful pieces are on display for pleasure and sale. Some major glass works are the Kitaichi Glass works, the Otaru Unga Kogeikan, “The Glass Ship” Warehouse and the Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum. It is possible to “make your own” glass item in some of the glass works such as ‘The Glass Studio’ and the ‘Otaru Unga Kogeikan’. If you wish to make your own item it is best to make a reservation, especially in summer if you have many people in your group. Top
| Admission | Most glassworks are free entry. To make your own glass item prices vary from about ¥500 to ¥2000. |
| Opening Hours | Most shops are open 9 : 30 am to 6 pm (a little later in summer) |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | Kitaichi Glassworks 0134 – 33 – 1993 The Glass Studio 0134 – 33 – 9390 Otaru Unga Kogei-kan 0134 – 29 – 1111 |
| Notes | - |
| Getting There | Most Glassworks are located near the canal area along Ironai dori. From Otaru Station walk toward the bay. About 10 min. |
Constructed in 1994, the steam clock in Otaru is the world’s largest and stands 5.5 meters tall, 1 meter wide and weighs 1.5 tons. It is a replica of a clock built by a Canadian horologist Mr. Raymond Sanders in Gastown Canada. The clock uses a steam whistle to toll the hour and plays a tune every 15 minutes. The clock is located in front of the Main hall of the Otaru Music Hall Museum. Top
| Admission | - |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Getting There | - |
