Stone warehouses
Along the bank.
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A canal in the port city of Otaru, completed in 1923 so that barges carrying cargo from ships anchored offshore could reach the warehouses directly. It was built by reclaiming land from the sea off the shore, the only canal in Japan made that way, which gives it its gentle curve; it is 1,140 metres long. After the Second World War new wharves ended its working life, and in 1966 the city planned to fill it in and demolish its warehouses for a wider road. A citizens' campaign to save it ran for more than a decade, ending in 1986 with a compromise: half its width was filled and the bank turned into a promenade. The stone promenade has 63 gas lamps, and along the far bank old stone warehouses with timber frames, now restaurants and shops, are lit at dusk and reflected in the water. In February the Snow Light Path festival sets lanterns in the snow along the canal. Walking is free. The canal is about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station, and Otaru is 35-45 minutes by train from Sapporo. Short boat cruises run on the canal; it is loveliest at dusk and in the evening.
Along the bank.
On the water.
In February.
Minato-machi, Otaru
About 35-45 minutes by train; the canal is about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station.
