Otaru: A Port City
Shaped by the Pulse of
Modern Japan

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About 40 minutes from Sapporo, Otaru is a port city where the foundations of modern Japan still echo through its streets. In the Meiji era, the arrival of railways linking inland coalfields to the sea transformed this small coastal town into“ the heart of Hokkaido.” Goods, people, and capital converged, and stone warehouses, lively markets, and a cluster of bank buildings formed a thriving commercial hub― powered by“ Tami no Chikara”, the collective strength of its citizens.
By the 1960s, however, economic shifts and changes in logistics brought decline. As plans advanced to demolish warehouses and fill the historic canal, citizens once again rose to protect the city’s memory. Young people led a decade-long movement whose passion reflected“ Tami no Chikara” in a new era.
Today, preserved warehouses house museums, shops, and cultural spaces. The canal has become a walking path that gently connects past and present. Otaru continues to tell its story through the buildings and people who have carried its spirit forward.

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Otaru: A Port CityShaped by the Pulse ofModern Japan