Otaru Canal
小樽運河
A harbor canal completed in 1923. The stone warehouses along its banks have become restaurants and glass workshops, and its night scene under gas lamps is Hokkaido's most classic romantic view.
Otaru Canal was built in 1923 and is about 1,140 m long. It was once the center of Hokkaido's maritime logistics. Today the stone warehouses along it have been converted into restaurants, beer halls, and museums. Together with 63 gas lamps, they form Otaru's most famous scenery. Recommended route: from JR Otaru Station, walk about 10 minutes to the canal. First capture the classic view from Asakusa Bridge or Chuo Bridge. Then follow the promenade to the North Canal section, which has fewer visitors and feels more untouched. Turn back to Sakaimachi Street, where you can browse Kitaichi Glass, Otaru Music Box Museum, and the Rokkatei and LeTAO sweets shops, and eat a bowl of seafood donburi or sushi along Otaru Sushi-ya Street. Canal cruises take about 40 minutes and cost 1,800 yen by day or 2,000 yen at night. Every mid-February, the Otaru Snow Light Path lights thousands of candles and snow lanterns along the canal, and the night scene is at its most beautiful. Getting there: take the JR Hakodate Main Line rapid train from Sapporo, about 35 minutes. Walk 10 minutes from Otaru Station. Many people stop at Minami-Otaru Station on the way to browse Sakaimachi Street. Notes: the night view is best from 5 to 7 p.m., when the gas lamps are lit. In winter the canal side is windy, damp, and cold, so dress warmly.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Otaru Beer Otaru Warehouse No.1
- Nitori Otaru Art Base
- Former Temiya Line
- Bank of Japan Otaru Museum
- Otaru Sushi Street
- Sakaimachi Street
- Otaru Sankaku Market
- Funami-zaka Slope