Hokkaido's city of Otaru is dotted with magnificent architectural works that tell the stories of bygone eras. 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 find in Otaru, Hokkaido. From bank buildings and former residences to retro spaces that blend into the cityscape, we've compiled a list of architectural masterpieces 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 atmosphere to Ueno Station in Tokyo, as construction for both began 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 station building to stand on this site.

This is the Former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch, an architectural masterpiece in Otaru, Hokkaido. The most breathtaking feature is the beautiful ceiling with its open atrium, surrounding corridors, and plaster-decorated patterns. They hold art performances using projection mapping here, which is a must-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 Music Box Museum 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 historic buildings by Otaru City, the "Furoukan" was apparently designed with its facade set back a step to harmonize with the streetscape.

Just 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 part of the Former Itaya Residence is used as the entrance and dining room. The Former Itaya 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 as the 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 constructed retro-style building.

This photo shows the Former Hokkai Zakkoku Co., Ltd. building, a Japanese-Western eclectic style building constructed around 1907. It features a wooden frame with soft stone stacked on the exterior and an impressive traditional firewall. 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 at the 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 flourished, 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 essential tourist spot in Otaru, was once on the brink of disappearing. Moreover, its current form is not its original one; the canal's width has been reduced to nearly half. While it may seem like a natural part of the scenery today, and we may not fully appreciate its benefits, the ability to perform "berthing cargo handling" (loading and unloading goods by docking directly at the port) with the development and improvement of the port was dramatically significant for ship transport. This advancement made the canal itself almost obsolete.

In the era before berthing cargo handling was possible, cargo from ships anchored offshore was loaded onto small, flat-bottomed boats called lighters (hashike), which were then moored in the canal for unloading. This was essentially a manual labor-intensive process, and the canal was more suitable than the open sea for carrying it out stably. For this reason, the canal was an indispensable artery for the port city of Otaru.

As times changed and the port became more functionally equipped, the canal fell out of use. Eventually, sludge accumulated, and it even began to emit a foul odor. Consequently, a plan emerged to fill in the canal and develop it into a road, bringing the canal to the verge of extinction. In the face of this crisis, its cultural value as a scenic landscape finally began to be recognized, and preservation movements gained momentum. As a result, the Otaru Canal was 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 Etchuya Hotel," Hokkaido's first hotel exclusively for foreigners. During the war, it was used by the army as an "Officers' Club," and after the war, it was requisitioned by the GHQ.

This is the scenery of "Wagasa-dori" (Japanese Umbrella Street), an annual event held at the Shussemae Hiroba square in the Otaru Sakaimachi Street Shopping District. Colorful Japanese umbrellas decorate the retro alley, and at night, they are lit up, creating 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.

Letting the retro buildings inspire you to reflect on Otaru's history and culture—this way of enjoying the city is a unique part of its charm. We hope this article will serve as a reference for you to go out and find your own "Otaru story."