In Otaru, Hokkaido, you'll find magnificent buildings that tell the story of their era scattered throughout the city. In this article, papercraft artist "Tabi to Craft," who travels all over Japan, will guide you through the retro architecture and historic spots you can encounter in Otaru, Hokkaido. From bank buildings and former residences to retro spaces that blend into the cityscape, we've compiled a list of architectural gems you'll want to visit during your sightseeing. Why not savor the nostalgic charm of Otaru?

The evocative atmosphere of Otaru Station. A retro feeling greets you the moment you step off the train. The Otaru station building has a similar feel to Ueno Station, as they were constructed around the same time. The current Otaru station building was built in 1934. It was the first modern, concrete station in Hokkaido. This is the third-generation station building.

This is the Former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch, a masterpiece of architecture in Otaru, Hokkaido. The most breathtaking feature is the beautiful ceiling with its surrounding gallery in the atrium and ornate plaster decorations. They hold art performances using projection mapping here, which is definitely something to see.

It was built in 1927, designed by the Sone Chujo Architectural Office. It is one of the buildings that conveys the pre-war appearance of Otaru, which prospered from herring fishing and was even called the "Wall Street of the North."

As you walk along Sakaimachi Street, a famous tourist spot in Otaru, the first thing that catches your eye is the retro lineup of the "Otaru Orgel Doh Sakaimachi Store (Former Iwanaga Clock Shop)," "Rishiriya Minoya (Furoukan)," and "Kaimeiro (Former 113th National Bank)."

With the "Iwanaga Clock Shop" on the right and the "Former 113th National Bank" on the left, both designated as historic buildings by Otaru City, the "Furoukan" was apparently designed with its facade set back a step to harmonize the streetscape.

Just a short walk up the hill from Otaru's Sakaimachi Street, the Former Itaya Residence stands on a hill overlooking the bay. A Western-style building is connected to a Japanese-style one, creating a wonderful space. It has now become a hotel called "Tabist Kaihoro Otaru." The Former Itaya Residence part is used as the entrance and dining room. The residence was built in 1927 as the home of Miyakichi Itaya, who made his fortune in the shipping industry and also served as a member of the House of Peers and mayor of Otaru.

There are many glassware shops in Otaru. The photo above shows a stately building reminiscent of a Taisho-era bank, but it is the store of "Kakumaru-do Otaru," a newly built retro-style building.

This photo shows the Former Hokkai Zakkoku Co., Ltd. building, constructed around 1907. It is a magnificent Japanese-Western eclectic building with a wooden frame and soft stone exterior, featuring impressive "udatsu" firewalls. This building also housed a glass craft shop until recent years, but it seems to have closed down now.

This is Otaru Denuki Koji, a unique building complex in Otaru. The fire watchtower is a striking feature, and from the observation deck on top of this tower, you can get a panoramic view of the Otaru Canal. It has a retro atmosphere that recreates the good old townscape of the Meiji and Taisho eras when the Otaru Canal once prospered, and it is a food theme park with about 20 restaurants.

The beautiful night view of the Otaru Canal. It's hard to believe that this canal, now an indispensable tourist spot in Otaru, was once on the verge of disappearing. Moreover, its current form is not the same as its original state; the width of the canal has been reduced to nearly half. While it may seem commonplace today, and we may not fully appreciate its benefits, the ability for ships to dock directly at the port for loading and unloading ("setugan niyaku") through port development was a dramatic change in shipping. This change was so significant that it made the canal itself obsolete.

In the era before direct docking was possible, cargo from ships anchored offshore was loaded onto small, flat-bottomed boats called barges ("hashike"), which were then moored in the canal for unloading. This was essentially a massive manual effort, and the canal was more suitable than the open sea for carrying out this work stably. Therefore, the canal was an essential artery for the port of Otaru.

As times changed and the port was modernized, the canal fell into disuse. Eventually, sludge accumulated, and it even began to smell bad. This led to a proposal to fill in the canal and turn it into a road, bringing the canal to the brink of extinction. In the face of this crisis, the cultural value of its scenery finally began to be recognized, and a preservation movement gained momentum. As a result, the Otaru Canal has been preserved in its current form.

This is the elegant staircase at "UNWIND HOTEL & BAR Otaru" in Otaru, Hokkaido. This hotel is a renovation of a historic building constructed in 1931 as the "Former Ecchuya Hotel," Hokkaido's first hotel exclusively for foreigners. It has a history of being used by the army as an "officers' club" during the war and was requisitioned by the GHQ after the war.

This is the scenery of "Wagasa-dori" (Japanese Umbrella Street), an annual event held at the Shussemae Hiroba plaza in the Otaru Sakaimachi Street shopping district. Colorful Japanese umbrellas decorate the retro alley, and at night, they are lit up to create a magical space. It is held for a limited time during the summer (around July to August) each year, and this photo is from last summer.

Finally, we asked "Tabi to Craft," who introduced us to numerous architectural masterpieces in Otaru, about the charm of the city.

Using retro buildings as a starting point to reflect on Otaru's history and culture—this way of enjoying the city is a unique charm. Why not use this article as a reference and set out to find your own "Otaru story"?