Otaru Winter Travel Guide

❄️🏙️ Otaru Winter Travel Guide

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📍 Location: Otaru City, Hokkaido, Japan
🚆 Transportation: JR Sapporo Station → JR Otaru Station (approximately 30–40 minutes)

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🎐 Romantic Winter in the City of Snow, Otaru (小樽)

If you want to experience the essence of a Hokkaido winter trip, Otaru is the perfect destination. Snow piles up along the canal, and the gas lamp-lit streets create a scene straight out of a movie. During the day, enjoy warm coffee and glass crafts, and at night, take a romantic winter stroll accompanied by lights and music.

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🏙️ 📍 Otaru Canal
A symbol of the city and a must-visit winter photo spot. When the gas lamps along the canal light up, the sparkling snow and water create a scene reminiscent of "winter in Europe." During the annual Otaru Snow Light Path Festival (雪あかりの路) in February, hundreds of candles and snow lights illuminate the canal, offering a magical night view.

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🏠 📍 Otaru Music Box Museum & Retro Street
The **Otaru Music Box Museum (小樽オルゴール堂)**, where European-style buildings resonate with music box melodies, is a representative attraction of Otaru. Filled with handcrafted glass music boxes, musical boxes, and vintage dolls, it’s also a popular spot for gifts. Nearby, you can enjoy desserts and shopping at the Otaru Glass Workshop and the LeTAO main store.

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☕ 📍 LeTAO Main Store Café
A must-visit dessert brand in Otaru! Famous for its "Double Fromage Cheesecake," you can enjoy a leisurely tea time with warm coffee while gazing at the snowy streets.

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🌨️ 📍 Love Letter Hill
Famous as the filming location for the Japanese movie "Love Letter," this hill in Otaru offers a panoramic view of the snow-covered harbor city and canal. It’s a serene and romantic spot, especially in winter.

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🍢 📍 Otaru Yokocho Street
In the evening, experience the local atmosphere at this izakaya street! On snowy nights, enjoy warm oden, seafood skewers, and a glass of Hokkaido beer to make the most of your winter evening.

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✨ Highlights
• Enchanting night views created by the snowy canal and gas lamps 🌃
• LeTAO cheesecake & shopping at the Music Box Museum 🛍️
• A winter walking route straight out of a movie ❄️