History / Culture / Tour Spots in Otaru Area

  • Bank of Japan Otaru Museum
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    4.0
    329 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otarushi Ironai 1-11-16
    In about 1900, banks concentrated in Otaru City and it began to be called “Wall Street of the north”. Among them, the Bank of Japan also entered Otaru City, and the building which was completed in 1912 became the Otaru Branch. Using the historical building of the time, historical artifacts of the Bank of Japan and the development of Otaru are displayed. You can feel the weight of a package containing 100 million yen (imitation) and see the anti-counterfeiting technology to prevent the forgery of bills. Guided tours are conducted twice a day (Required time: about 30 minutes.)

    Revealed hitherto unknown facts to me about the economic importance of Otaru and Hokkaido in the east Asian region.

  • Otaru City General Museum Main Building
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    4.0
    142 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otarushi Temiya 1-3-6
    A museum opened in July 2007 which looks at the history and natural environment of Otaru City as well as science, technology, and the history of transportation on the island of Hokkaido. The museum is divided into two facilities—the Main Building and the Canal Museum. The Main Building has a permanent exhibit which presents the history of railroads in Hokkaido, including 50 preserved examples of major railway vehicles used on the island such as the Shizuka steam locomotive. The Main Building also has a planetarium and science exhibits and conducts simple experiments and short craft classes on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. In the summer, the Iron Horse, a steam engine built in the United States in 1909, is operated outside the museum, and visitors can ride the train for free.

    This museum is only about trains. The museum was just ok, very little English info. I did really enjoy the train cars on display outside. Especially the snow plow trains. Its worth a visit.

  • Otaru Music Box Museum Hall Number 2 Antique Museum
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    4.0
    133 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Sakaimachi 6-13
    "This music box company has shops not only in Hokkaido but also nationwide, including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Okinawa. Enwrapped in the old-fashioned atmosphere of the museum building located 100 meters away from the Otaru Music Box Museum Main Building, visitors can enjoy the ""music of the heavens"" of the music boxes in the collection up close. Filled with historic and valuable antique music boxes, visitors can also view an Aeolian pipe organ made in England in 1908. The first self-playing pipe organ brought into Japan, the organ still resounds with the same beautiful sounds today as when it was first built."

    I went here because my friend wanted to go. However I ended up falling in love with this place and came back with 2 music boxes. I hope I get a chance to go here again some day again.

  • Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum
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    3.5
    136 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otarushi Sakaimachi 5-27
    The exterior of the building is modeled on the Palazzo Grassi in Venice while the second, third and fifth floor exhibition rooms, styled on the 18th century palace rooms, house an elegant museum. The museum hosts many special exhibitions in addition to the Venetian displays of interior design throughout the seasons and permanent displays of Murano Glass. You can also get dressed up in aristocratic or carnival-style clothing and have your photograph taken for posterity! The museum is a 10-minute walk from JR Minami-Otaru Station and a ten minute drive from Otaru interchange.

    This shop sells lots of different coloured glass items produced locally. They are beautiful and intricate. Reminded me of Murano glass.

  • Otaru City Nishin Goten (Herring Mansion)
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    4.0
    98 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otarushi Shukutsu 3-228
    A mansion built for the fishing families in Otaru City. Originally established in Tomari on the Shakotan Peninsula in 1897 the mansion was relocated to its current location in 1958. Items and tools used in the daily lives of the families and used in the catching and processing of herring are on display. You can also experience the techniques of the time yourself with hands on exhibits.

    Gives perspective to traditional fishing culture in Hokkaido with artifact and exhibits All beautifully displayed and with great views.

  • Suitengu Shrine
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    4.0
    70 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Aioicho 3-1
    A Shinto shrine located on a hill in the center of Otaru City with a sweeping view of downtown Otaru and Otaru Port. On the grounds, visitors can find a monument inscribed with a poem by Takuboku Ishikawa. Also a renowned cherry blossom viewing destination, in spring the shrine bustles with visitors. The main shrine and front shrine buildings have been designated Historic Structures by Otaru City.

    Climbed up the mountain to Suitengu for Cherry Blossom. Still beautiful as before, enjoy nice sea view and peacefulness there.

  • Otaru Museum canal building
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    4.0
    49 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otarushi Ironai 2-1-20
    This museum, just a 10-minute walk in the direction of the Otaru Canal from Otaru Station, houses a collection of Otaru's history and nature artifacts. The main depository is located just a 20-minute walk beyond the museum, for which the museum combination admission ticket is valid for 2 days. The Canal Museum was built in 1893, and redesigned from the treasured stone masonry Former Otaru Warehouse, making the museum itself a highly valued asset. In the museum, a life-size replicated broad street of Otaru during its heyday, the Taisho period (1912-1926), is on display where one can enjoy using the old-fashioned telephone and the organ.

    Based on my pre-study of the recommended sightseeing routes, we first visited Otaru General Museum Unga-kan (Canal Museum). The museum occupies the northern section of a timber-framed stone storage...

  • Otaru Geijutsumura
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Ironai 1-3-1
  • Former Nippon Yusen K.K. Otaru Branch
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otarushi Ironai 3-7-8
    Construction of the two-story brick building of modern European revival style began in 1904 and was completed in 1906. It is now designated as a National Important Cultural Property. Otaru, once the base city of Hokkaido’s development, is now a city reminiscent of the state-of-the-art technology and works by leading architects of the time. It can be said that the representative building is “Former Nippon Yusen K.K. Otaru Branch”. It is where the Russo-Japan border demarcation meeting was held, and the meeting room where the acanthus patterned wallpaper, “gold-cordered paper (kinkara kawakami)”, reflecting the light of the chandelier is a must-see.
  • Nishin Goten Herring Mansion Otaru Kihinkan (Old Aoyama Villa)
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otarushi Shukutsu 3-63
    The villa was a holiday house for the Aoyama Family in the heyday of herring fishing. The family spared no expense in the materials and construction of the two-story wooden villa set in a site of almost 5000 square meters. The mansion conveys to the present the glory of days gone by and has also been designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of the country. There are many works of art, such as writings by Yamaoka Tesshu on display. It is about a five-minute walk from the nearest bus stop “Shukutsu 3-chome”.
  • Former Hokkaido Bank Head Office
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Ironai 1-8-6
    This building was erected in 1912 to serve as the head office of Hokkaido Bank. The external appearance of the two story stone structure is almost unchanged from the day it was completed, giving visitors today a glimpse at the culture and architectural techniques prevalent at the time of its construction. The building was designed by Uheiji Nagano, who also worked on the design of The Former Otaru Branch of Bank of Japan, a Tangible Culural Property designated by Otaru City, standing on the opposite side of the street. Characteristic of bank architecture, the building has a design which exudes a solemnity which can be sensed coming from its tiniest constituent components, from the entrance, window design, and corners, down to even in the intervals between the windows. Today, Otaru Bine, a wine cafe and shop, operates in of the building.
  • North Canal
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otarushi Ironai 3
    Otaru Canal played an important role in Hokkaido’s development as the “Gateway to Hokkaido.” Small working boats can still be seen moored along the northern section of the Canal (known as the North Canal), which is lined with warehouses. With scenes that recall the past, this area of Otaru is very evocative.
  • Otaru Municipal Literature Museum / Otaru Municipal Art Museum
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otarushi Ironai 1-9-5
    A great number of excellent writers gathered in Otaru which has been an established port town for a long time. This facility was opened in November 1978 in order to preserve valuable cultural assets such as literary magazines, manuscripts and letters by authors Takiji Kobayashi, and Sei Ito and so on. The collection materials can be seen in the viewing room. It is approximately ten minutes on foot from JR Otaru Station.
  • Asakusa Kannonji Temple
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    3.0
    1 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru Tomioka 1-19-21

    日銀通りをほぼ真っ直ぐ山の方へ上がった突き当りに位置する天台宗のお寺です。 東京の浅草寺と同じ文字ですが、こちらは「あさくさ」と読み東京とは無関係。 運河界隈で最も賑わう浅草橋は、昔、お寺から橋までの通りを浅草通りと呼んでいたことに因んでいます。 浅草観音寺(又は浅草寺)には、道内最古の仏像の一つとされる聖観世音菩薩像が安置されています。 平安時代中頃、京都・滋賀周辺で造られたもので、京都聖護院の...

  • Catholic Otaru Church Tomioka Cathedral
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    4.5
    37 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Tomioka 1-21-25

    Not in my plan to visit this church, I was attracted by the beautiful architecture while I was at Tomioka. It took about 20-25 minutes walk from Otaru train station.

  • Sumiyoshi Shrine
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    4.0
    18 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Suminoe 2-chome 5-1

    1868年に住吉大神を勧請して創建され他神社です。国道5号線に面して南小樽駅から徒歩8分程です。住吉神社の鎮座150年の記念事業で参道などは綺麗に整備されました。緩い坂道をのぼって一の鳥居、二の鳥居、三の鳥居、御社殿と一直線上にあります。参拝客も少なく、心静かにお参りできました。

  • Municipal Otaru Art Museum
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    3.0
    8 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Ironai 1-9-5

    美術館・文学館共通観覧券500円。美術館は建物1階3階。文学館と異なり写真撮影禁止。小樽所縁の画家の作品を展示。文学館に展示されている文学者と比べて控え目。市展といった市民のための美術展示スペースと捉えたほうが健康で文化的。

  • Ryutoku Ji
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    3.5
    4 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru Masakae 1-3-8

    I was attracted by the Cherry Blossom next to this temple. Also got ginkgo trees , especially the husband and wife gingko tress’s are standing side by side.

  • Municipal Otaru Literaly Museum
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    3.5
    3 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Ironai 1-9-5

    小樽文学館の見学後に小休憩のため立ち寄りました。アットホームな雰囲気のカフェ。というか、お金を入れてご自由にお飲みくださいスタイルのお店です。コーヒーをおいしくいただきました。

  • Otaru Inari Shrine
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    3.0
    2 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Hokkaido Otaru-shi Suehirocho 38-1

    こちらは、小樽の手宮公園に隣接している神社です。(励ましの坂を上ると頂上付近の左でにあります) こじんまりとした神社で、17世紀に創祀された歴史ある神社で、御祭神は、保食神、大物主大神、菅原道真公だそうです。

Hokkaido Areas

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Not just a prefecture but an island of its own, Hokkaido is the most northerly prefecture and island of the Japanese archipelago. Arriving in Hokkaido, which is rural and bursting with breathtaking nature, means entering a world where vast national parks, towering mountains, and natural hot springs can be found at every turn. Come December, these natural splendors freeze over and morph into a winter wonderland.

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