Otaru, Japan

Otaru is a harbor city, half an hour northwest of Sapporo by train. Its beautiful canal area and interesting herring mansion make Otaru a pleasant one day trip from Sapporo or a nice stop en route to or from the Shakotan Peninsula. Escape from Sapporo to Otaru for a weekend, a day or even an afternoon. Famous now as a tourist spot and for its music boxes, it has a rich, interesting history. Building buffs will love the old warehouses and the beautiful canal district. It played an important part in the herring industry, was a terminal station for Hokkaidô‘s first railroad and was also a literary hotspot. Otaru Canal (Otaru Unga) used to be a central part of the city's busy harbor in the first half of the 20th century, when large vessels had to be unloaded by smaller ships, which then transported the goods to warehouses along the canal. The canal became obsolete, when modern dock facilities allowed for direct unloading of larger vessels. Thanks to a citizens' movement, however, a part of the canal was beautifully restored in the 1980s instead of being landfilled, while the warehouses were transformed into shops, cafes, museums and restaurants.