Otaru Attractions｜Otaru Canal, an important commercial and trade center in Hokkaido during the Meiji period

#100 Ways to Travel
#Otaru City is one of the important attractions that must be visited in #Hokkaido. It is suitable for traveling all year round. #Otaruport is a Hokkaido trading base completed in 1923. With the renovation of the port terminal, it is no longer used for transportation, but these stone warehouses along the canal still retain the style of Otaru's most prosperous period at that time, and these stone warehouses have also become popular tourist attractions. Every year during the #Sapporo Snow Festival, special snow lanterns are lit around the #Otaru Canal. If you have the opportunity, you should arrange to stay in Otaru for a night and experience the Otaru Canal after it is lit up at night.

Transportation guide: Starting from #Sapporo City Center, take the Hakodate Main Line "Suburban Rapid Train" from JR Sapporo Station to JR Otaru Station, which takes about 50 minutes; or start from New Chitose Airport and take the "Rapid Airport Line" from JR Sapporo Station (Rapid Express) and get off at JR Otaru Station. The journey takes about 30 minutes. Ordinary trains are also available, and the journey takes about an hour. If you don’t want to be crowded, you can also choose the JR Sapporo Station Bus Center and take the Otaru express bus, which takes about 70 minutes. For the return trip, take the Chuo Bus No. 1 (passing by Maruyama) or No. 2 (passing Hokkaido University) in front of JR Otaru Station, and the end point is Sapporo Station. Especially when the train is stopped during a snowstorm, rush to the bus stop to see if it is running.

I took the shuttle express from JR Sapporo Station to JR#MinamiOtaru Station at around 10 a.m. in February. The weather was fine after leaving the station, but there was a lot of snow along the way. It was close to noon and I could go shopping at #Sakaimachi Street. (Otaru Sakai-machi Street), have lunch and then visit Otaru Music Box Hall (オルゴール堂), Kitaichi Glass Museum, Otaru Gasoline Steam Clock, Otaru Romance Museum, Taisho Glass Museum, and others such as Rikkatei and Kitaikaro Waiting is also nearby. Because the shopping street is about 700 meters away from the Otaru Canal, in order to avoid unnecessary walking, it is recommended that if you get off at Otaru Station, you first visit the Otaru Canal, then go to the Sakaimachi Street shopping street, and then return to Sapporo from Minami-Otaru Station. I got off the train at JR Minami-Otaru Station. I visited the Sakai-machi shopping street first. After I had a full meal, I walked to the Otaru Canal to take pictures of the snow. After the Otaru Canal was lit up at night and took pictures, I immediately returned to JR Otaru Station and took the bus back to Sapporo Station. If you just want to visit the area around the Otaru Canal, just enter and exit JR Otaru Station. But I encountered a snowstorm on my return trip. Fortunately, the train was delayed and many people were crowded in the station. Otaru during the day has a different romance than Otaru at night. February is a good month for #snow-appreciation and light viewing.

Post by 大叔衝日本 | Oct 9, 2024