Home > Otaru Tourism Portal >Otaru's Power Spots

When people think of famous power spots, many will think of Ise Grand Shrine or Mount Fuji, but Hokkaido is a vast land blessed with abundant nature and is also blessed with many power spots to visit.

Here in Otaru, there are many wonderful places that will give you energy just by visiting them, such as mystical scenery, ancient sacred places, and shrines that are widely loved by locals. When you want to refresh yourself or feel energized, why not visit one of these places?

I want to visit the power spots of Otaru

Give Otaru as a gift.

From the "Old Otaru Warehouse" overlooking the canal,
From UNGAPLUS, which brings you the "Story of Otaru" that walked alongside the Kitamae ships,
We will introduce you to "Places to visit in Otaru."

Please enjoy Otaru.

15 Recommended Power Spots in Otaru

↓ Sumiyoshi Shrine
↓ Ryugu Shrine
↓ Ryutokuji Temple
↓ Oshoro Stone Circle
↓ Otaru Tenguyama
↓ Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd.
↓ Suitengu Shrine
↓ Otaru Catholic Church Tomioka
↓ Ebisu Shrine
↓ Takashima Inari Shrine
↓ Benten Island
↓ Otaru Noh Theatre
↓ Shioya Maruyama
↓ Shukutsu Panorama Observatory
↓ Mt. Akaiwa

I want to visit the power spots of Otaru

1. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Sumiyoshi Shrine

Sumiyoshi Shrine, located an eight-minute walk from Minami-Otaru Station, was founded in 1868. Its origins date back to 1865, when Kikuchi Shigetaka, the head priest of Hakodate Hachimangu Shrine, enshrined Sumiyoshi Okami as the guardian deity of Otarunai and Takashima. The shrine's current building was constructed in 1881, making it a historic shrine with 150 years of history. ...See More

Facility name　Sumiyoshi Shrine
Address　2-5 Suminoe, Otaru City,
phone　0134-23-0785
Opening hours　24 hours
Home page　Click here

2. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Ryugu Shrine

From Otaru Station, walk about five minutes toward Yoichi, pass through the torii gate, and walk up the hill to reach Ryugu Shrine. Ryugu Shrine was built by Enomoto Takeaki, a Hokkaido Development Commissioner. He served the Tokugawa shogunate and fought alongside Hijikata Toshizo in the Hakodate War at the end of the Edo period. After the war, he was imprisoned as a mastermind of the Hakodate War, but the Meiji government recognized his talent and appointed him to Hokkaido's Development Commission. While working hard to develop Hokkaido, he envisioned providing opportunities for his colleagues struggling to make ends meet and making Hokkaido a center of Japanese trade and diplomacy. He then set his sights on Otaru, with its magnificent port. ...Read More

Facility name　Ryugu Shrine
Address　3-22-11 Inaho, Otaru City, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-22-4268
Home page　Click here

3. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Ryutokuji Temple

Ryutokuji Temple was founded in 1857 by the first priest, Daiko Kaiun, in Ryutokucho (now Shinkocho), and moved to its current location in Mae in 1874. The main hall is the oldest temple hall in Otaru City, and although the foundation has been repaired only once in 1992, the building itself remains in its original state. Ryutokuji Temple is famous for its giant mokugyo, one of the largest in Japan, measuring 1.3m in diameter, 1m in height, and weighing 330kg. It was made from camphor wood grown in Kyushu as a donation to Ryutokuji Temple by a hospital in 1933. It is said to be the largest mokugyo in Japan made from a single piece of wood. ...See More

Facility name　Ryutokuji Temple
Address　1-3-8 Mae, Otaru, Hokkaido
phone　0134-22-0523
Home page　Click here

4. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Oshoro Stone Circle

In the western part of Otaru City, on a small river terrace, stands a stone circle, a long oval shape measuring 33m long and 22m wide, made up of large and small stones. The stone circle was created by cutting a gentle slope at an altitude of 20m to create a flat surface, which was then filled with gravel and the standing stones were then placed. This is a valuable archaeological site where you can see the aftermath of large-scale civil engineering work undertaken by ancient people. ...Read more

Facility name　Oshoro Stone Circle
Address　2-chome, Oshiro, Otaru, Hokkaido,
Telephone　Otaru City Museum 0134-33-2523
Opening hours　Free to visit
Closed days　Open to the public
Home page　Click here

5. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Otaru Tenguyama

Otaru Tenguyama has long been beloved by locals as a symbol of Otaru. Standing at 532 meters above sea level, it can be seen from anywhere in central Otaru. You can reach the summit by ropeway, which runs every 6 to 12 minutes, or by car (roads are closed during the winter). ...See more

Facility name　Otaru Tenguyama
Address　2-16-15 Mogami, Otaru, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-33-7381
Business hours　vary depending on the season
Closed days　Varies depending on the season
Home page　Click here

6. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Former Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. Otaru Branch

The former Nippon Yusen Otaru branch, with its luxurious appearance, hints at Otaru's prosperity during the Meiji period. This building symbolizes the heyday of Otaru's development. A two-story stone structure in the European Renaissance style, the VIP room inside features a plaster ceiling and chandeliers, crimson curtains, parquet floors and a striking carpet with a large floral pattern, and gold leather paper with a chrysanthemum crest on the walls, which is said to have been extremely difficult to restore, creating an extravagant and luxurious space. ...See More

Facility name　Former Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. Otaru Branch
Address　3-7-8 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-22-3316
Opening hours　09:30-17:00
Closed on　Tuesdays (or the following weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday)
New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 3rd)
Home page　Click here

7. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Suitengu Shrine

There are shrines named Suitengu Shrines all over Japan. While Suitengu Shrine in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is the main shrine and enshrines Emperor Antoku and others, Suitengu Shrine in Otaru does not actually belong to it. Otaru Suitengu Shrine is registered with the Shiribeshi branch of the Hokkaido Shrine Association. It is about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station or Minami-Otaru Station, and can be found at the top of a hill called "Foreigners' Slope" in Shinonome Town. Located on a hill about 55 meters above sea level, the location to the right of the shrine offers a panoramic view of Otaru Port, the Sea of Japan, and the Otaru cityscape. ...See More

Facility name　Suitengu Shrine
Address　3-1 Aioicho, Otaru City,
phone　0134-22-3495
Visiting hours　24 hours
Home page　Click here

8. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Otaru Catholic Church Tomioka Cathedral

About a 10-minute walk from JR Otaru Station, a short walk from the so-called "Hell Hill" leading to Otaru University of Commerce, stands a beautiful, picture-book-like church known to locals as "Tomioka Church." Its current official name is "Catholic Otaru Church Tomioka Cathedral," but until 2015 it was called Catholic Tomioka Church. ...Read more

Facility name　Otaru Catholic Church Tomioka Cathedral
Address　1-21-25 Tomioka, Otaru City, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-22-6278
Home page　Click here

9. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Ebisu Shrine

Ebisu Shrine, located in Shukutsu, Otaru, was founded in 1856 and is known for being worshipped by the three major fishing bosses of Shukutsu. The main hall, currently housed in a covered hall, is designated as a historic building of Otaru City (No. 58). Located on a hill above Shukutsu Coast, the shrine grounds offer a beautiful view of the Otaru sea. Two votive plaques dedicated within the worship hall have been recognized as cultural assets that make up the Kitamae-bune Japanese Heritage site. ...See more

Facility name　Ebisu Shrine
Address　3-161 Shukutsu, Otaru City,
phone　0134-22-2591
Visiting hours　Until the sun sets
Home page　Click here

10. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Takashima Inari Shrine

Takashima Inari Shrine stands on a hill in the Takashima district between Shukutsu and Temiya. It is said to have been founded in 1690 (Genroku 3), making it one of the oldest shrines in Hokkaido. Even the oldest shrine in Sapporo was founded in 1855, meaning that Takashima Inari Shrine was founded over 160 years earlier. It is a historic shrine dating back to the days of Takashima, a place that prospered from herring fishing. ...See More

Facility name　Takashima Inari Shrine
Address　3-14-1 Takashima, Otaru City, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-22-4318
Visiting hours　24 hours
Home page　Click here

11. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Benten Island

Located in the northern part of Otaru, the Takashima district juts out like a peninsula, facing the sea on its east side. Otaru prospered from herring fishing in the late Edo period, and it remains an important fishing base for the city to this day. Takashima Fishing Port is located on Takashima, and within the bay stands the symbolic Benten Island. It is said that Benten Shrine, dedicated to Benten, was once located on Benten Island, and a red torii gate still stands on the island. ...Read More

Facility name　Bentenjima
Address　1-2 Takashima, Otaru, Hokkaido,
Opening hours　Open all year round
Closed days　Open all year round

12. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Otaru Noh Theatre

The Otaru Noh Theater (formerly the Okazaki Family Noh Stage) is a theater for Noh performances built in Otaru, Hokkaido in 1926. It meets the highest standards for Noh performances established during the Edo period and is a building of great historical and cultural value. It was built within the family home of Ken Okazaki, a native of Sado who became a successful general merchandise merchant and contributed greatly to Otaru as a city council member, in 1926. The theater is crafted using specially selected materials, including a 2.4m diameter Jindai cedar from Sado, cypress from Kyushu, and pine from Hokkaido. The pine paintings on the panel and the bamboo on the doorway were painted by Kano Mochinobu, the 17th head of the Kano school, during his two-month stay in Otaru. ...See More

Facility name　Otaru Noh Theater (formerly the Okazaki Family Noh Stage)
Address　5-2-1 Hanazono, Otaru City,
phone　0134-22-2796
Opening hours　Open to the public from June to early September
Home page　Click here

13. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Shioya Maruyama

Otaru was one of the first cities in Hokkaido to be developed, and was the first area where Buddhism and other Japanese cultures arrived. Shioya Maruyama, as well as Akaiwayama and Tengudake, both in Otaru, were apparently mountains of faith established by the many ascetics who fled to Hokkaido after being driven out of Honshu by the "Haibutsu Kishaku" (Buddhist and Buddhist destruction) movement. During the Meiji period, it is said that mountain ascetics could be seen practicing their asceticism on the rocky terrain. ...Read More

Facility name　Shioya Maruyama
Opening hours　24 hours
Closed days　Open everyday
Home page　Click here

14. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Shukutsu Panorama Observation Deck

Famous for its beautiful sunrises and sunsets, Shukutsu Panorama Observatory is located on a hill about 70 meters above sea level in the northeastern part of Otaru City. Looking east from the observation deck, Cape Takashima in the foreground is the focal point, with a spectacular view of Ishikari Bay beyond. On a clear day, Mount Shokanbetsu and Mount Mashike can also be seen beyond Ishikari Bay. ...Read more

Facility name　Shukutsu Panorama Observatory
Address　3 Shukutsu, Otaru City, Hokkaido,
phone　0134-32-4111
Opening hours　24 hours
Closed days　Open everyday
Home page　Click here

15. Otaru Tourism - Recommended Power Spots

Mount Akaiwa

Located in the northwestern part of Otaru City, Mount Akaiwa looks like a hill when viewed from the city center, but when viewed from the sea side on a sightseeing boat cruising around Omotai Coast, the rugged landscape of numerous reddish-brown, oddly shaped rocks and peaks rising from zero meters above sea level is an overwhelming sight. It is also one of Hokkaido's leading rock climbing fields, attracting many climbers. ...Read more

Facility name　Akaiwa Mountain
Opening hours　24 hours
Closed days　Open everyday
Home page　Click here

UNGAPLUS

Good luck from the shipping town of Otaru...
May the flow that has been protected without interruption be your ally and open up your luck.

During the Meiji period, Otaru flourished as the gateway to the development of Hokkaido.
Kitamae ships flapped their pure white sails across the ocean, traveling to and from Honshu and bringing many goods and cultures to this area.

UNGAPLUS delivers original products that incorporate the history and culture of Otaru, as well as high-quality products from the ports of call of the Kitamae ships, from the former Otaru Main Warehouse, the first commercial warehouse in Hokkaido, built by Kitamae ship owners Nishide Magozaemon and Nishitani Shohachi.

The story of Otaru, which has walked alongside the Kitamae ships, can be heard from this place.

We are looking forward to your visit and have a wide selection of original items that are only available here and make great souvenirs.

Click here for details on "UNGAPLUS" Store name　UNGAPLUS

address　2-1-20 Ironai, Otaru

phone　0134-65-8150

Opening hours　10:00~18:00

Closed days　Open everyday

Home page　Click here