The name “Otaru” originates from the Ainu word “Otarnai,” meaning “river in the sand,” which was used to describe this area in ancient times.
Otaru, one of Japan’s premier tourist cities.
Otaru, a beautiful coastal city in Hokkaido. Developed as the “Commercial Capital of the North” since the Meiji era, Otaru boasts numerous retro and romantic historical buildings that still stand today.
It has a maritime climate with relatively small temperature variations within Hokkaido. Sea breezes and land breezes are particularly strong in summer, especially from April to May when strong southwesterly winds prevail, leading to dry air. The snow season runs from November to April, characterized by heavy snowfall and few clear days.
Otaru is bordered by Ishikari Bay to the north and mountains to the east, west, and south. Ishikari Bay is a large bay facing the Sea of Japan, stretching from Shakotan Cape at its western tip to Otofuke Cape to the north. While the bay’s ends feature mountains plunging into the sea with continuous cliffs, its inner reaches extend from the Ishikari Plain into a broad, gently sloping sandy beach. This provides numerous bathing beaches, such as Otaru Dream Beach.
Facing the sea, Otaru City also boasts abundant seafood as a major attraction. Alongside sea urchin, abalone, and scallops, rare seafood like mantis shrimp and herring are also caught.
