Home > Otaru Tourism Portal >Two-day Course

This is a two-day model itinerary for those who want to stay overnight in Otaru and fully enjoy its history and culture. On the first day, you will take part in the Otaru beginner's one-day model itinerary, where you will learn the basics of Otaru. On the second day, you will visit Tanaka Sake Brewery, Otaru's only sake brewery, then tour the North Canal, where the former Nippon Yusen Otaru Branch, an Important Cultural Property, is located, and enjoy the old townscape of Otaru, where remnants of the good old days still remain.

Fill up on lunch at a lovely cafe or restaurant renovated from a stone warehouse, and if it's summer, don't miss the activity of taking a boat trip to the Blue Cave, which has been discovered in several places in Japan and is also found in Otaru. Boats mainly depart from the North Canal. Otaru's Blue Cave is a rare tourist spot, the only one in Japan where you can enter the cave by boat.

Two-day course

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.

Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

DAY 1

DAY 2 is here

① 10:00～
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Let's start from Otaru Station

Otaru Station, the gateway to tourism in Otaru, opened in 1903 as Hokkaido Railway's "Otaru Central Station." It was renamed "Takashima Station" and "Chuo Otaru Station" several times, and finally became Otaru Station in 1920, reflecting the name of the former Otaru Station (now Minami Otaru Station).

For more information

Facility name　JR Otaru Station

Address　2-22-15 Inaho, Otaru City

phone　0134-22-0771

Business hours　Midori no Madoguchi 5:30-22:45

Closed days　None

Home page　Click here

② 10:05-10:15
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Located right next to Otaru Station
Visit the popular Otaru Triangle Market

Located just a minute's walk from JR Otaru Station, Otaru Triangle Market was named after the triangular shape of the land and roof. The market's motto is "Straightforwardly cheap!" You can enjoy shopping in the lively atmosphere unique to the market, with shopkeepers on both sides cheerfully calling out to customers.

For more information

Facility name　Otaru Triangle Market

Address　3-10-16 Inaho, Otaru City, Hokkaido,

phone　0134-23-2446

Opening hours　06:00-17:00

Closed days　Open everyday

Home page　Click here

③ 10:25-10:50
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Continue along Otaru Station Street to the "Old Temiya Line"

The abandoned Temiya Line, a 10-minute walk from JR Otaru Station, is a popular tourist spot in Otaru. It was originally opened in 1880 by American railway engineer Joseph Urry Crawford as the first railway in Hokkaido and the third in Japan, for the purpose of transporting coal, from Temiya to Sapporo.

For more information

Sightseeing Spots　Former Japanese National Railways Temiya Line

Opening hours　Open all day except during the winter when there is snow.

Closed days　Open for strolling all day except during the winter when there is snow.

④ 11:00-12:00
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Packed with Otaru's history
"Otaru City Museum Canal Hall"

The Otaru City Museum Canal Hall has two exhibition rooms: the first exhibiting old photographs and maps that record Kitamae ships, herring fishing, and the changes in the city, and the second exhibiting natural materials on plants and animals. It is a facility where you can learn about the history of Otaru city and its abundant nature in an easy-to-understand way.

For more information

Facility name　Otaru City Museum Canal Hall

Address: 2-1-20 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido

phone　0134-22-1258

Opening hours　09:30-17:00

Closed　New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 3rd)

Home page　Click here

⑤ 12:10-13:10
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

2-3 minutes walk from the museum
At the tourist mecca "Otaru Canal"

The Otaru Canal, a popular tourist spot known nationwide, was completed in 1923. It was not a canal dug inland, but was built by reclaiming land offshore from the coast, and is therefore notable for being gently curved rather than straight.

For more information

Sightseeing Spot　Otaru Canal

Address　Otaru Canal, Minatomachi 5, Otaru City,

Opening hours　Open all year round

Closed days　Open for strolling all year round

Home page　Click here

Take a canal cruise
Experience the Otaru Canal

The Otaru Canal Cruise is a new standard activity for Otaru tourism, allowing you to fully enjoy the area around the popular Otaru Canal. It's a short boat trip of about 40 minutes that allows you to rediscover the charm of Otaru, a city of history and romance.

Click here for details

Facility name　Otaru Canal Cruise

Address　5-Minatomachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido,

phone　0134-31-1733

Opening hours　10:30-20:00

Closed days　December 31st and January 1st (please see the official website for details)

Home page　Click here

⑥ 13:20-14:20
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

If you come to Otaru, try sushi at Sushi Street

Hokkaido has a unique sushi culture that is different from Edomae. As the slang term "Ezomae" suggests, there are many restaurants that use fresh seafood without preserving it in vinegar or salt.

For more information

Facility name　Otaru Sushi Street

Address　1-1-9 Hanazono, Otaru City, Hokkaido,

Home page　Click here

Learn more about Otaru's gourmet food

⑦14:30-16:00
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Nostalgic streetscape
Enjoy the Sakaimachi Shopping Street at your leisure

When it comes to sightseeing in Otaru, Sakaimachi Shopping Street is the second most popular spot after the Otaru Canal. It's a place that almost everyone should visit when they come to Otaru. Sakaimachi Street is lined with nationally famous shops such as Kitaichi Glass, LeTAO, Otaru Music Box Museum, and Kamaei, and there are many shops in historical buildings, creating a romantic, atmospheric streetscape.

For more information

Facility name　Sakaimachi Shopping Street

Address　6-11 Sakaimachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido,

phone　0134-27-1133

Opening hours　9:00-18:00

Closed days　Open everyday

Home page　Click here

⑧ 16:10-16:20
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

It was "the leading economic city in northern Japan."
A banking district that gives you a glimpse of its heyday

The area around the intersection of Bank of Japan Street and Ironai Boulevard is home to many bank buildings that were built when Otaru was known as "the leading economic city in northern Japan" and at its peak had as many as 25 financial institutions with branches there.

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Facility name　The Bank of Japan Otaru Museum

Address　1-11-16 Ironai, Otaru City,

phone　0134-21-1111

Opening hours　9:30~17:00 (10:00~ from December to March)

Closed　Wednesdays

Home page　Click here

⑨ 14:30-15:00
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Built by a Kitamae ship owner from Kaga,
The first nationally approved facility in Hokkaido
Commercial warehouse "Old Otaru Warehouse"

The Former Otaru Warehouse, with its striking shachihoko (lion-like carp) along the Otaru Canal, is a representative structure among the many historical buildings in Otaru. It was built in 1890 by Nishitani and Nishide of Kaga Hashidate in the Otaru Konanhama area, which had just been reclaimed.

For more information

UNGAPLUS

This shop, renovated from the "Old Otaru Warehouse Main Building," said to be the oldest commercial warehouse in Hokkaido in the Otaru North Canal area, develops and sells original products that convey the charm of Otaru. The shop tells the story of Otaru's prosperity during the Hokkaido pioneering era and the history of the Kitamae ships, and displays and sells processed seafood and agricultural products from ports of call and Hokkaido, as well as original products by artisans and artists with ties to Otaru.

⑩ 17:00~
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

A shop renovated from a historic building on the North Canal

STONE and IRON

"STONE and IRON" is a cafe bar and hostel renovated from a stone storehouse with over 100 years of history. The first floor is a cafe restaurant that is open from lunchtime to dinnertime, and the second floor is a two-room guest house.

Western restaurant Mangiare TAKINAMI

"Western Restaurant Mangiare TAKINAMI" is a Western restaurant where you can enjoy the local seafood and mountain produce of Otaru and Shiribeshi to your heart's content. Part of the restaurant retains an old timber-framed stone warehouse, giving you a sense of Otaru's history.

le quatrieme Le Quatrieme

"Le Quatrieme" is a stylish cafe restaurant where you can enjoy an elegant lunch while looking out over the Otaru Canal. They serve French cuisine during lunchtime.

Otaru ISO

Otaru ISO is located about a 5-minute walk from the Otaru Canal and aims to be a fusion of modern Hokkaido cuisine and Western food, with a concept of wood-grilled steaks, mainly made with Hokkaido beef.

OTARU TAP ROOM

"OTARU TAP ROOM" is a facility that combines a bar that mainly serves craft beer with a hostel that is housed in a fully renovated historic building that is over 100 years old.

DAY 2

① 10:00～
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

On the second day, we went to the Otaru Western confectionery shop LeTAO.
Starting with the Canal Plaza store

The LeTAO Canal Plaza store, which opened in October 2024, is a place where you can enjoy the new charm of LeTAO in a retro atmosphere surrounded by historic timber-framed stone buildings. Inside the store, you can enjoy a variety of Western-style sweets and takeout items while taking in the nostalgic scenery.

For more information

Facility name　Otaru Western Confectionery Shop LeTAO Canal Plaza Store

Address　2-1-20 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido,

phone　0120-314-521

Opening hours　10:00-22:00

Closed days　Open everyday

Home page　Click here

② 10:10-10:30
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

The only restaurant in Otaru that has been in business for 120 years
At the sake brewery "Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Branch"

At its peak, Otaru had over 50 sake breweries, but now only Tanaka Sake Brewery, which produces Otaru's local sake "Takara-gawa," remains. Tanaka Sake Brewery was founded in 1899 (Meiji 32) and has been in business for 120 years. It has two stores in the city, the main store and Kikkogura store, and has been loved by local residents for many years.

Click here for details

Facility name　Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Store

Address　3-2-5 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido,

phone　0134-23-0390

Opening hours　09:05-17:55

Closed days　Open all year round

Home page　Click here

③ 10:50-11:50
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Otaru's good old days
The North Canal, where traces of the past remain

The North Canal, where traces of the past remain intact, is home to many historical buildings and stone warehouses built during the Meiji period, such as the former Nippon Yusen Otaru Branch and the former Shibusawa Warehouse.Many things remain that convey the atmosphere of Otaru in the past, such as gas lamps and the Hokkai Can Otaru Factory.

Facility name　Northernmost point of the North Canal

Address　3-chome, Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido

Home page　Click here

canal park

Canal Park is located along the North Canal and was built on the site of the former loading and unloading area for the Otaru branch of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, a nationally designated important cultural property. The park covers an area of approximately 7,800 square meters and includes playground equipment and rest areas made from repurposed stone warehouses from the Meiji and Taisho periods.

Facility name　Canal Park

address　3-6 Ironai, Otaru City, Hokkaido

phone　0134-32-4111

Opening hours　24 hours

Closed days　Open everyday

Home page　Click here

Former Nippon Yusen Kaisha Otaru Branch

The former Otaru branch of Nippon Yusen Kaisha, with its luxurious appearance, gives a glimpse into the prosperity of Otaru during the Meiji period. Built in October 1906 by Nippon Yusen Kaisha, it remains a core company of the Mitsubishi Group. As one of Japan's three major shipping companies, it is well known overseas and is still referred to as the representative of Japanese shipping.

Facility name　Former Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. Otaru Branch

Address　3-7-8 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido,

phone　0134-22-3316

Opening hours　9:00-17:00

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

④ 12:00-13:00
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

Historical building "Former Shibusawa Warehouse"
Lunch at Press Cafe on the corner

PRESSCAFE is located at the northern end of the Otaru Canal, next to Kitahama Bridge, which spans the so-called North Canal, in a corner of the Former Shibusawa Warehouse, a historic building constructed in 1895 (Meiji 28). The interior of the Former Shibusawa Warehouse, made of timber and stone, is characterized by its high ceilings, large windows facing the canal, and a classic car that is still in use.

Facility name　PRESSCAFE

Address　3-3-21 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido

phone　0134-24-8028

Opening hours　11:30-22:00

Closed　Thursdays

Home page　Click here

⑤ 13:10～
Otaru Sightseeing - Two-Day Model Itinerary

On a nice day in summer
Tourist boat to the Blue Cave

The Italian island of Capri is world famous, but there are several places in Japan called the "Blue Grotto," and in fact, you can see the "Blue Grotto" in the waters off Otaru and Shakotan.

For more information

Facility name　Otaru Blue Cave Dragon Palace Cruise

Address　4-5 Minatomachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido

phone　0134-32-3911

Opening hours　08:30-17:30

Closed days　May change depending on weather conditions, etc. Please check the website for details.

Home page　Click here

Or you can get a panoramic view of Otaru city.
See the spectacular view at Otaru Tenguyama

Otaru Tenguyama has long been a symbol of Otaru and beloved by locals. It stands 532 meters above sea level and 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).

For more information

Store name　Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway and Ski Resort

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

*Note! Please plan your trip carefully, checking the return transport times.

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