Otaru
A little harbor city called Otaru is located about 30 minutes by train northwest of Sapporo. Otaru makes for a lovely day excursion from Sapporo or a pleasant stop on the way to or from Niseko or the Shakotan Peninsula because of its attractively preserved canal region and intriguing herring homes.
Otaru played a significant role as a trading and fishing port from the beginning of Hokkaido's colonization in the late 1800s. In order to connect the port with the nearby city of Sapporo, it was chosen as the final station of Hokkaido's first railway line. Otaru's city center has a unique aesthetic that is reminiscent of earlier decades thanks to the numerous ancient warehouses and abandoned office buildings owned by shipping and trading enterprises.
Little Otaru developed became a prominent fishing harbor after Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture, was settled in the late nineteenth century. Then, this location served as the terminus for Hokkaido's most famous rail line.
Along with the rest of the prefecture, the town's peculiar river is lined by former stockrooms and is arguably the most well-known place in Japan to enjoy fresh fish. There are calmer places with dignified herring manors closer to the town's center, even if the waterway district can get busy with Japanese tourists. When the river is fixed with glittering snow lamps during the Otaru Snow Gleaming Festival in February, the town is extremely beautiful.
- Location: Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido
