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The romantic city filled with exotic history
Enjoy Slow
Travel in Otaru, Hokkaido
[Overview of Otaru City]
■JR Sapporo Station ⇔ JR Otaru Station (fastest 32 mins by JR, about 60 mins by bus)
■New Chitose Airport⇔ JR Otaru Station (fastest 75 mins by JR, about 1hr 20min by bus)
■JR Sapporo Station ⇔ JR Otaru Station (fastest 32 mins by JR, about 60 mins by bus)
■New Chitose Airport⇔ JR Otaru Station (fastest 75 mins by JR, about 1hr 20min by bus)
Department of Otaru Industrial Bay Area for Tourism Promotion
12-1, Hanazono 2chome, Otaru
TEL：+81-134-32-4111
12-1, Hanazono 2chome, Otaru
TEL：+81-134-32-4111
Otaru is a city of history and romance with an exotic atmosphere.
Otaru, which once prospered from herring fishing, was also the center of Hokkaido’s economy. Financial institutions were concentrated in Otaru, and at one time the city was so prosperous that it was called the “Wall Street of the North. Even today, there are many historical buildings such as stone Western-style buildings and old Japanese architecture remaining here and there in the city. Take your time and enjoy Otaru.
Otaru Tourist Area
Otaru Observation Decks
Otaru Streets
Otaru, City of Slopes
Let's enjoy walking around Otaru!
Points of Interest
Day 1 / City Sightseeing
Enjoy the central tourist area!
↓ Walk 13 min.
There are four museums: Stained Glass Museum (Old Takahashi Warehouse and Old Arata Trading Company), former Otaru Branch of Mitsui Bank, Nitori Art Museum (Old Otaru Branch of the Hokkaido Colonization Bank), and Western Art Museum (former Naniwa Soko), requiring 2 to 3 hours to visit
↓ Walk 5 min.
A tourist spot lined with stores selling Otaru’s specialties such as glass and music boxes. (1 hr.)
↓ Walk 10 min.
↓ Walk 10 min.
Steep slope with a maximum gradient of 20%. You can see the Otaru cityscape and Otaru Port.
↓ Walk 6 min.
↓ Walk 6 min.
Located on a hill overlooking Otaru Port and famous for its cherry blossoms. (20 min.)
↓ Walk 15 min.
↓ Walk 15 min.
The symbol of Otaru. At dusk, the stone warehouses are lit up with gas lamps, creating a different atmosphere from the daytime. (10 min.)
↓ Walk 5 min.
↓ Walk 5 min.
Can be used as a stopover at the Otaru Canal, light-up facilities, and other nighttime strolling locations. A wide variety of souvenirs (30 min.)
↓ Walk + bus: about 30-40 min.
↓ Walk + bus: about 30-40 min.
From Ironai 1-chome bus stop (9 Tenguyama ropeway line), 17 min. From the Otaru Tenguyama ropeway boarding area, it is a 5-minute ropeway ride to the top of the mountain. You can enjoy the cafe and the Tengu no Yakata (Tengu Museum). (1 hr. 30 min.)
↓ Bus: about 20-30 min.
↓ Bus: about 20-30 min.
There are many delicious restaurants from seafood to meat dishes unique to Otaru.
Day 2 / Sightseeing in the Suburbs Area
A full day of sightseeing for both adults and children!
↓ From Otaru Station bus stop (11 Shukuzu Line), about 26 min. Get off at Otaru Aquarium and walk about 10 min.
A beautiful place for sunrise and sunset. The lighthouse, Herring palace, and aquarium at the tip of Shukutsu look as if they are jutting out into the sea, making it a spectacular spot.
↓ Walk 10 min.
Visitors are welcomed by 5,000 marine animals of 250 species. You can also enjoy dynamic shows, an amusement park, and a restaurant. (3 hr.)
↓ Walk 16 min.
↓ Walk 16 min.
This is the villa of the Aoyama family, who made a huge fortune from herring fishing, and is one of the most famous art mansions in Hokkaido, designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the national government. (30 min.)
↓ From Shukutsu 3-chome bus stop, take (11 Shukutsu Line) to Otaru Station (about 25 min.).
↓ From Shukutsu 3-chome bus stop, take (11 Shukutsu Line) to Otaru Station (about 25 min.).
↓ From Otaru Station, take (6 Boyodai Line or 16 Okusawa Line), get off at Sumiyoshi Jinja-mae and walk 5 min.
The pioneering work in the central part of Hokkaido leads from Sumiyoshi Shrine in Otaru to the Hokkaido Shrine. You may see Ezo squirrels in the precincts of the shrine. (30 min.)
↓ Walk 10 min.
↓ Walk 10 min.
This market has long been popular with locals, after-workers, and tourists. (25 min.)
↓ Walk 10 min.
↓ Walk 10 min.
This is a rare sake brewery in Japan that uses 100% Hokkaido rice and brews local sake all year round. (30 min.)
↓ Walk 10 min.
↓ Walk 10 min.
Walking around while looking at souvenirs (1 hour～)
↓ Walk
↓ Walk
There are many delicious restaurants from seafood to meat dishes unique to Otaru.
Day 3 / Otaru Walk
History Walk
Walking along side streets in Otaru is different from touring the canals.
↓ Walk 10 min.
↓ Walk 10 min.
It was built to offload Hokkaido coal from Otaru Port. Temiya to Sapporo, and Sapporo to Horonai (now Mikasa). The line was abandoned with the decline of coal. (10 min.)
↓ Walk 20 min.
This park is located on high ground in Otaru. There are walking paths and playground equipment, and the wisteria trellises in early May and the autumn leaves in October are beautiful in this park. (1 hr.)
↓ About 12 minutes on foot or about 4 minutes by bus from Tomioka 1-chome bus stop (19 Otaru Shodai Line) bound for Otaru Shodai-mae. Short walk from Midori 3-chome bus stop.
↓ About 12 minutes on foot or about 4 minutes by bus from Tomioka 1-chome bus stop (19 Otaru Shodai Line) bound for Otaru Shodai-mae. Short walk from Midori 3-chome bus stop.
A long slope of about 1.5 km with a 10-degree incline leading to Otaru University of Commerce
↓ Downhill walk 18 min.
↓ Downhill walk 18 min.
About 16 popular sushi restaurants are gathered here. Enjoy fresh seafood from the waters around Otaru for lunch! (1 hr.)
↓ Walk 5 min.
↓ Walk 5 min.
Due to the distribution of goods and a large herring catch, banks moved into the area one after another. A section of the city called the Wall Street of the North was established. (55 min.)
↓ Walk 5 min.
↓ Walk 5 min.
This is the street that goes straight down from the front of Otaru Station to the sea. It is the shortest way to the canal.
↓ Walk 8 min.
↓ Walk 8 min.
There are 15 stores in the market. Six of them are restaurants. Souvenirs and seafood bowls are popular among tourists. (30 min.)
↓ Walk 1 min.
↓ Walk 1 min.
Information from Otaru City
Otaru Eating Around Inbound MAP
Member Stores of Otaru Eating Around Inbound MAP
Access
Recommended route: From Sapporo
It takes about 1 hour from Sapporo Station to Otaru Station by "Kosoku Otaru-go" bus. 32 minutes minimum by JR line. By car, it takes about 30 minutes by expressway.
Recommended route: From New Chitose Airport
Minimum 75 minutes from New Chitose Airport to Otaru Station by JR Line "Rapid Airport". By car, it takes about 60 minutes by expressway.
Recommended route: From Tokyo
Haneda Airport - New Chitose Airport is 1 hour and 30 minutes by plane. From New Chitose Airport, take the JR line to Otaru Station in 75 minutes minimum.
- Sapporo Station – Otaru Station about 1hr.
- New Chitose Airport – Sapporo Station about 1hr. 20min.
The “Kosoku Otaru-go” bus to/from Sapporo is convenient. From New Chitose Airport, you need to transfer at Sapporo.
- [Highway Expressway] Sapporo – Otaru about 30 min.
- [Highway Expressway] New Chitose Airport – Otaru about 1hr.
- [Local road] Sapporo – Otaru about 1hr. 20min.
- [Local road] New Chitose Airport – Otaru about 1hr. 20min.
- Sapporo Station – Otaru Station fastest 32 min.
- New Chitose Airport – Otaru Station fastest 75 min.
From New Chitose Airport and Sapporo, the “Rapid Airport” is convenient. There are three stops: Otaruchikko, Minami Otaru, and Otaru.
- New Chitose Airport – Sendai 1hr. 15min.
- New Chitose Airport – Tokyo 1hr. 30 min.
- New Chitose Airport – Nagoya 1hr. 40 min.
- New Chitose Airport – Osaka 1hr. 50 min.
- Niigata – Otaru about 18hrs
- Maizuru – Otaru about 20 hrs
Department of Otaru Industrial Bay Area for Tourism Promotion
12-1, Hanazono 2chome, Otaru TEL：+81-134-32-4111
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