Kotan Hachiman Shrine

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Kotan Hachiman Shrine was founded in 1856 and was officially named a township shrine in 1875. It was listed as a local shrine on the 28th of April 1911. The purpose of the shrine is to follow the great principles of the deity, Hondawake no Mikoto. Hondawake no Mikoto is also more commonly known as the Emporer Ōjin. Read More ....

Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

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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'. Read More ....

Tokai Lavender Fields

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On the Tokai Sapporo School campus the grounds really comes alive with lavender. It is said that the south district of Sapporo, where the campus is located, is known as the birthplace of lavender cultivation in Japan. Read More ....

Urahoro Shrine

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During the Meiji Era, as the town of Urahoro (on the south east coast of Hokkaido) was being developed, the pioneers called for the construction of a shrine to serve as a spiritual centre. On August 15, 1896, a small shrine was erected, enshrining Amaterasu (goddess of the sun and the universe). Read More ....

Onnenai Visitor Center

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. Read More ....

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. 'Shitsugen' translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. Read More ....

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

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Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. Read More ....

Obihiro Shrine

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In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the "Bansei-sha". This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. Read More ....

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Katsunairinkai Park

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Opening Hours	Open 24 hours
Closed	-
Contact	0134-32-4111
Notes	Park by Otaru harbor, 32 parking spaces, lunch spot
Location / Getting There	Located in Otaru by the water. It's a 14 minute walk from Otaru canal. The park is by the Shin Nihonkai Ferry Otaru Ferry Terminal. 8-1 Chikko, Otaru City 047-0008, Hokkaido

This is a small park in Otaru. It can be found right by Otaru Harbor and it overlooks Otaru Port. Being next the Shin Nihonkai Ferry terminal, you can get some great views of the ships coming in and all the vessels anchored in the harbor. The park itself has a few odd seafaring items located on the grounds. At the centre of the park, there is a covered landing that has a distinctive boating veneer. It has a crows nest built on top, plus it is flanked by two large anchors, and a small stage for performances.

To one side of the park there is a huge sea buoy to take a look at. It served as a sea anchor for boats and was installed back in 1933. The buoy was capable of anchoring 12,000 tonne class vessels. It has a diameter of four metres and was anchored to the sea bed via a 6 tonne weight attached to an 80 meter chain. It’s a pretty impressive buoy which has some history. Besides this feature, the park benches to sit and have lunch and enjoy the peaceful harbor views. The park is also a popular spot to do some fishing!