Sapporo and Otaru are two of Hokkaido's most famous tourist destinations. Located just a 30-minute rapid train ride apart on the JR line, the route is popular with many travelers. Since the train runs along the coastline, it's a section of track where many people look forward to the view from the window. Recently, a post on social media has been gaining attention, showing a rare sight from a train heading from Otaru to Sapporo.

The photo accompanying the post shows a tropical-like scene with a beautiful sky and a white sea, but the sea in Otaru is not usually this white. There was a reason for the sea's milky appearance.

The train connecting Otaru and Sapporo runs along the Sea of Japan coastline

The Sea Turns White Due to the 'Herring Kuki'

The reason the sea is white is due to the herring "kuki." Kuki is a phenomenon where large schools of fish, such as herring, swarm into shallow coastal areas, and the sea turns milky white as the females lay their eggs and the males release their milt.

In the past, kuki from spring herring were seen everywhere in the seas of Hokkaido. However, around 1955, the herring schools moved north, and due to factors like overfishing, the spring herring population itself decreased, and the kuki phenomenon disappeared. But in 1999, kuki were spotted again in Rumoi, and recently, they have been seen almost every year in Otaru from late January to early March.

Otaru's History of Prosperity from Herring Fishing

The 'Old Aoyama Villa,' also known as the 'Nishin Goten' (Herring Mansion), is a grand residence with a total construction cost of about 3 billion yen at today's prices.

Otaru has prospered from fishing, especially herring fishing, since the late Edo period. It was once said that "one could live for a whole year on the earnings from herring fishing." One of Otaru's famous tourist spots, the 'Otaru Kihinkan,' houses a magnificent mansion called the 'Nishin Goten,' which is designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property. You can still tour the mansion today, and at the Japanese restaurant inside, you can enjoy dishes like a rich, fatty herring rice box or herring soba noodles.

Now is Your Chance to See the Kuki!

The 'Snow Light Path' festival, which started in 1999, is still a handmade event by the citizens of Otaru.

In winter, Otaru hosts the 'Otaru Snow Light Path' festival, where the canal area is illuminated by snow candles, held from February 10th to 17th, 2024. And while you're viewing the sea where the kuki is occurring, Sapporo, just a 30-minute train ride away, is hosting the 'Sapporo Snow Festival' until February 11th, 2024.

With the winter tourist season in full swing, Otaru and Sapporo are welcoming many visitors from both Japan and abroad. Be sure to look out the window during your train ride between the two cities. You might just be lucky enough to witness the same incredible scenery.