Otaru 小樽
Otaru is a small harbour town 30km West of Sapporo. Its main attraction is its charming canal district. Its a variety of Western-style from the late Meiji period buildings made the Japanese dub Otaru the "Romantic city". Have a look at the Mitsui Bank, former Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) building, Music Box Museum, among others.
Of greater interest for the Western travellers are the "herring houses", which belonged to herring fishers before the trade declined in the aftermath of WWII.
Glass-making is another reputed local industry. Tourists can make their own personalized glasses at the Otaru Unga Kogeikan, or view beautiful glasses at the Kitaichi Glass Shops and Kitaichi Venetian Museum.
The Otaru Municipal Museum houses a paraphernalia of objects related to the town's history.
How to get there
Otaru is about 30 minutes from Sapporo and 75 minutes from Chitose Airport using the "JR Rapid Aiport" (￥620 and ￥1,740, respectively).
See the Sapporo section for flights between Sapporo and other Japanese cities.
| 
