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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Hokkaido
Otaru 
# 28   of 160 destinations
in our travel guide

jump to:   access  -  hotels  -  ratings  -  links

Otaru (小樽) is a small harbor city, about half an hour northwest of Sapporo by train. Its beautifully preserved canal area and interesting herring mansions make Otaru a pleasant day trip from Sapporo or a nice stop en route to or from Niseko or the Shakotan Peninsula.

From the early days of Hokkaido's colonization in the late 1800s, Otaru served as a major trade and fishing port. It was hence chosen as the terminal station of Hokkaido's first railway line that connected the port with nearby Sapporo. Many old warehouses and former office buildings by shipping and trade companies give Otaru's city center a special character reminiscent of past decades.

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Attractions
 1  Otaru Snow Light Path
Festival with small illuminated snow statues.
User rating: 91/100 (40 votes)
Visited by: 71 users
 2  Canal Area
Beautiful canal lined by old warehouses.
User rating: 82/100 (253 votes)
Visited by: 515 users
 3  Herring Mansion
A wealthy fisherman's former mansion.
User rating: 80/100 (37 votes)
Visited by: 81 users
 4  Sakaimachi Street
Attractive street in the city center of Otaru.
User rating: 79/100 (51 votes)
Visited by: 103 users
 5  City Museum
Museum about the history of Otaru.
User rating: 75/100 (61 votes)
Visited by: 143 users
 6  Nikka Whisky Distillery
Whisky distillery in neighboring Yoichi Town.
User rating: insufficient data
Visited by: 6 users

Access and Orientation
Access and Orientation
How to get to and around Otaru.

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User Ratings
Ratings for Otaru:
japan-guide.com Rating:
  outstanding  
User Rating (by 377 users):
84/100
  recommended

Best rated destinations (out of 148):
43.  Sapporo   84/100
44.  Kanazawa   84/100
45.  Obuse   84/100
46.  Daisetsuzan   84/100
47.  Kume Island   84/100
48.  Otaru   84/100
49.  Noboribetsu   84/100
50.  Shosenkyo Gorge   84/100
51.  Okuhida   84/100
52.  Uji   83/100
Most visited destinations (out of 160):
23.  Takayama   947
24.  Uji   912
25.  Beppu   872
26.  Hakodate   854
27.  Okayama   839
28.  Otaru   832
29.  Kumamoto   825
30.  Ise Shima   798
31.  Matsumoto   753
32.  Mount Fuji   733

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Japanese Links
Otaru City
Official website.

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Related Pages
Travel
Sightseeing
Hokkaido
Cities

Otaru Canal
City Museum
Sakaimachi Street
Herring Mansions
Nikka Whisky Distillery

Otaru Snow Light Path Festival

Otaru: Access and Orientation

News and Reports
February 5, 2012
Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
by scott
Otaru Yuki Akari no Michi 2011
Photo Report

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