Otaru Hotels

Otaru is a city and port located in Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and it has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is one of Japan's leading tourist destinations. Also, because it is located within a 25 minute-drive from Sapporo, the city recently has seen growth as a bedroom community. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 137,693 and the density of 580.11 persons per km². The total area is 243.13 km². Although it is the largest city in Shiribeshi, it is not the capital of the subprefecture (that title goes to the more centrally-located Kutchan). The city was an Ainu habitation, and the name "Otaru" is recognised as being of Ainu origin, possibly meaning "River running through the sandy beach". The very small remaining part of the Temiya Cave contains cave carvings from the Zoku-Joumon period of Ainu history, c. 400 A.D. Otaru was recognised as a village by the bakufu in 1865, and in 1880 the first railway line in Hokkaidō was opened with daily service between Otaru and Sapporo. Otaru was redesignated as a city on August 1, 1922.