What Is the Otaru Canal, and How Do You Walk the Port Area?
This guide is for visitors who want to understand what the Otaru Canal is, why it looks the way it does, and which old buildings, quiet morning spots and evening areas the city's tourism association points out. It is a walking guide to the port district, not a restaurant list.
We used the Hokkaido official tourism site's page on the canal and the Otaru Tourism Association's English pages on history, morning, night time and food, plus its Japanese introduction to the city. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. We name no private shops, hotels or restaurants, and opening hours and prices can change.
What the canal is
The Hokkaido tourism site describes the Otaru Canal as a 1,140-metre waterway lined with preserved stone warehouses. It was completed in 1923, when small boats carried cargo between the shore and larger ships. At dusk, the page says, 63 gas lamps are lit and reflect on the water.
The association's history page adds that the canal was not built to carry water inland. It is a narrow channel made between the shoreline and land reclaimed in the harbour. In the 1960s there was a plan to fill in the whole canal to make a road, but a preservation movement spread across Japan and the plan changed. In the end half of the canal became a road and the other half stayed as the canal you see now.
The Hokkaido site says the canal now has two parts. The North Canal keeps its original width of 40 metres, while in the southern section walking paths have been laid out. Old warehouses along it have been turned into cafes and restaurants.
Why the city is full of old banks
The association says Otaru grew rich with the herring catch and became an international trading port. It says the Meiji government placed its first office in charge of developing Hokkaido in Otaru, and that many large banks opened branches downtown, so the area was called the "Wall Street of the North". The association's Japanese page adds that Otaru's harbour was also a coal shipping port, and that herring was prized as fertiliser.
The English history page names these places:
- Former Otaru branch of the Bank of Japan: completed in 1912 in Renaissance style and now a museum about the bank and Japan's financial system.
- Former Nippon Yusen building: built in 1906 in European Renaissance style, designated an important cultural property by the national government, and used to film the movie Love Letter.
- Former Mitsui Bank Otaru branch: finished in 1927, with a stately masonry exterior and a high ceiling with decorative plasterwork inside.
- Otaru Museum: a canal building and a main building on the old railway yard, with old steam locomotives and the oldest surviving engine in Japan, which is an important cultural property.
- Otaru Herring Mansion: a prefectural tangible cultural property with fishing tools and photographs, closed during the winter season.
- Temiya Cavern: wall engravings nearly 1,600 years old, which theories now say show shamans and animals.
Where to start
The Hokkaido site says the canal is about 10 minutes on foot from JR Otaru Station. The association has an information centre in the Asakusabashi area, a photo spot on the canal, open from 9:00 to 18:00 and staffed in English, Chinese and Korean. The International Information Center in the canal area is open from 9:00 to 20:00. Our guide to getting to Otaru lists all four centres.
A quiet morning walk
The association's morning page says that walking along the quiet Kita Canal and the old railway tracks is the best time to enjoy Otaru. The sun rises on the sea side of the city, so it suggests going to the seaside if you can wake early. It also describes an early market, open as early as 4 a.m., where you can buy fresh seasonal seafood and eat at the eateries inside. It recommends walking around the former Temiya Line or the Kita Canal area.
The association's Japanese page says the Temiya Line was the first railway in Hokkaido, running from Temiya to Horonai, and is now a place for strolling among flowers.
Evening and food
The association's night page says Otaru's evening charm is food, drink and warm people, and mentions a yatai (food stall) village for easy bar hopping. It names two lanes, Renga Yokocho and Roman Yokocho, where staff can tell you more.
The food page says the best choice is sushi made with local seafood. It names botan shrimp, sweet shrimp, tuna, sea urchin, abalone, mantis shrimp and scallops. It also says more than 50 restaurants serve thick-sauce yakisoba, which locals call soul food, and that Otaru has long had rice cake shops, with local sweets such as skewered dumplings and beko mochi.
Little facts from the city's own page
- The town is built on slopes, and a hill toward the university is nicknamed Jigoku-zaka, "Hell Slope".
- The association says the mantis shrimp caught off Otaru are the largest in Japan.
- Seen from the air, it says, the city looks like a dog running with its mouth open.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Opening hours and prices of the museums and old bank buildings.
- Whether the 63 lamps are lit at the same time all year.
- Canal boat cruise times and fares.
Related guides
- How to get to Otaru from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport
- When should you visit Otaru? Climate, seafood and festivals
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- Otaru Canal (Hokkaido official tourism site) — (canal facts)
- History (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (canal history, banks, museums)
- Morning (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (morning walk)
- Night Time (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (evening areas)
- Food (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (food)
- Information Center (Visit Otaru, Otaru Tourism Association) — (centres)
- Getting to know Otaru (Otaru Tourism Association, in Japanese) — (city introduction)