An Unforgettable Detour to Hokkaido's Historic Port Town, Otaru

After our stay in Furano, we made our way back to Sapporo on 14 July for our final night in Hokkaido before flying home the following day. Rather than heading directly to our Airbnb, we decided to make a short detour to Otaru, a charming port town that had not been included in our original itinerary.

That decision turned out to be one of the pleasant surprises of our journey. Otaru possesses a distinctive character quite unlike the other places we had visited in Hokkaido. With its well preserved historic buildings, picturesque canal, and streets lined with quaint shops, cafés, and glassware boutiques, the town exudes an old-time charm. Although our visit was brief, it was more than enough to convince us that Otaru is a destination well worth exploring. 

Our first stop was the Otaru Canal, a famous landmark of Otaru and a lasting reminder of the town's prosperous maritime heritage. Completed in 1923, this 1km long canal was originally built to allow small barges to transport cargo between large ships anchored offshore and the warehouses lining the waterfront. During the early 20th century, Otaru flourished as Hokkaido's principal trading port, handling coal, seafood, and goods from across Japan.

As modern port facilities developed after the Second World War, the canal gradually lost its commercial importance. In the 1960s, there were plans to fill it in to make way for roads, but strong public support for preserving Otaru's history led to the restoration of part of the canal instead. Today, the beautifully preserved stone warehouses have been transformed into cafés, restaurants, museums, shops, and hotels, while a cobblestone promenade provides a delightful setting for a leisurely stroll.

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From the canal, we made our way to Sakaimachi Street, Otaru's most famous tourist street and the vibrant heart of the city's historic district. Lined with beautifully preserved stone warehouses and elegant Western-style merchant buildings dating back to Otaru's prosperous trading era, the street exudes old-world charm. Today, these heritage buildings have been transformed into an attractive collection of souvenir shops, cafés, museums, and specialty stores. Like many visitors, we wandered into several of the shops to browse Otaru's renowned handcrafted glassware, admire the exquisite music boxes, and sample Hokkaido's famous confectioneries, including LeTAO's signature Double Fromage cheesecake.

What captivated me most, however, were several old buildings adorned with lush green façades, their walls almost completely blanketed by thick climbing vines. The sight instantly transported me back to October 2014, when we visited Giverny, the picturesque French village where the renowned Impressionist painter Claude Monet once lived. The vine-covered buildings evoked the same timeless beauty and tranquil atmosphere that had left such a lasting impression on us more than a decade ago (Read here).

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Before leaving Otaru, we stopped for lunch at Kita No Ryoba Otaru Unga Ten (北之渔场), a restaurant that specialises in fresh Hokkaido seafood. Among the dishes we ordered, my wife's clear favourite was the Kaisen-don (海鮮丼). The bowl featured an abundant assortment of premium sashimi - including salmon, tuna, scallops, prawns, and other seasonal seafood - beautifully arranged over a bed of rice. Every slice was remarkably fresh, showcasing the exceptional quality of Hokkaido's seafood. It was a simple yet memorable meal, and a fitting finale to our delightful visit to Otaru before returning to Sapporo for our last night in Hokkaido.