Otaru (小樽市, Otaru-shi) is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination.
Because it is a 25-minute drive from Sapporo, it has grown as a commuter town. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 107,432 and a population density of 441 persons per km² (1,100 persons per mi²). The total area is 243.83 km2 (94.14 sq mi).
Although it is the largest city in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, the subprefecture's capital is the more centrally located Kutchan.
Otaru is the best town in Hokkaido for sushi, and it ranks high on the national scale too. Sushi restaurants near Kitaichi are expensive, but if you walk to the canal you can find cheaper but good sushi.
Music boxes. You'll find these in Hakodate and Sapporo as well, but shops dedicated to music boxes are especially prevalent here. The two museums selling music boxes are well worth a look, particularly for the hand-cranked variety which emit tunes using a piece of cardboard with holes punched in it.
Antiques. If you walk from central station straight towards the canal district, you'll see a karaoke centre called Thriller Karaoke with a bat gargoyle above the sign. Turn right until you see an eatery called Kongetsudo on the left hand side. Across the road are two antique dealers, one male and one female, on the second storey of a small building that sell mainly kimono. This place is worth a visit as you can pick authentic kimono quite cheap here. Just remember that you may have to haggle up to 50% off the price of a kimono with the male dealer if you are a foreigner.
Glassware. Otaru is famous among Japanese for its glassware. You can buy all types of articles made of glass, from useful cups, bottles and plates, to tiny decorative fishes.
Otaru is a major station on the JR Hakodate Line from Sapporo, with very frequent train runs. At a cost of ¥620, there are at least five trains per hour; the fastest service, the Airport Rapid, reaches Otaru in 30 minutes. The complete journey on the Airport Rapid from New Chitose Airport to Otaru takes 70 minutes.
Approximately 30 km to the west of Sapporo, Otaru is a port city by the Sea of Japan with a canal and well-preserved architectures of early modern Japan in the Meiji era. Most of the attractions are found in the city center surrounding the Otaru port.
Otaru's original name in the local Ainu language was "Otarunai" or "Ota-or-nai", meaning "river flowing through sand". The area's recorded history goes back to the 16th century, when an explorer from the Honshu island reported settlement. Otaru's early modern history as a port city started in 1871, when Japan's Meiji government opened a colonization office in Sapporo. Rapid development followed, especially after the first railway in Hokkaido was built in 1880 between Otaru and Sapporo. Still a busy port town, today's Otaru has a thriving tourism industry.
Winter in Otaru is less severe than in most other cities in Hokkaido; the yearly average temperature is 8.6 °C.
