Otaru

Population 102,652 (Wikidata)

Live guide From your hotel
Photo · Commons

Before you go

Emergency numbers in Japan

Visas and entry What your passport needs for Japan
Daylight 9 h 01 in Dec, dark by 16:01 · 15 h 22 in Jun
  1. January: 9 h 20 of daylight
  2. February: 10 h 31 of daylight
  3. March: 11 h 51 of daylight
  4. April: 13 h 22 of daylight
  5. May: 14 h 39 of daylight
  6. June: 15 h 22 of daylight
  7. July: 15 h 05 of daylight
  8. August: 14 h of daylight
  9. September: 12 h 34 of daylight
  10. October: 11 h 06 of daylight
  11. November: 9 h 45 of daylight
  12. December: 9 h 01 of daylight

Getting there

Remembered in this browser only, with the last few you used.

Best-documented sights

All of them in the guide

Within a kilometre of the centre, ordered by how well documented each is — not by a "best" anyone decided. Each opens on the map in the guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited there.

Through the year

  1. Otaru Snow Light Festival

    February

    Called "Yuki Akari no Michi", this Winter festival features paths illuminated with lanterns made of ice. The most scenic view is from the Otaru canal.

    Official site

1 event here has no dates for this year yet. We can look them up on each event's own site.

Annual events from Wikidata and Wikivoyage (Otaru); descriptions from Wikipedia where it has one, photos from Wikimedia Commons. Dates move year to year — check before you plan around one.

Markets

  • 鱗友朝市

    1. Monday: 04:00–14:00
    2. Tuesday: 04:00–14:00
    3. Wednesday: 04:00–14:00
    4. Thursday: 04:00–14:00
    5. Friday: 04:00–14:00
    6. Saturday: 04:00–14:00
    7. Sunday: closed

    04:00–14:00

    2.8 km from the centre

  • 鱗友朝市

    1. Monday: 04:00–14:00
    2. Tuesday: 04:00–14:00
    3. Wednesday: 04:00–14:00
    4. Thursday: 04:00–14:00
    5. Friday: 04:00–14:00
    6. Saturday: 04:00–14:00
    7. Sunday: closed

    04:00–14:00

    2.8 km from the centre

  • Fruit and vegetable market

    青果地方卸売市場

    Covered hall

    No hours mapped

    1.1 km from the centre

  • 妙見市場

    No hours mapped

    1.1 km from the centre

  • 新南樽市場

    No hours mapped

    1.4 km from the centre

  • Regional wholesale shop

    小樽市漁業協同組合地方卸売場

    Covered hall

    No hours mapped

    2.5 km from the centre

  • 鱗友朝市

    No hours mapped

    2.8 km from the centre

Markets mapped on OpenStreetMap, with their hours where someone has added them. Check locally before you go.

Somewhere to run

Getting around

More train stations: Asari 5.2 km

Want picks in Otaru that suit you? Ask your travel assistant, free with an account. Something wrong or missing on this page? Tell me

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors, as of 17 October 2026. Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Events from Wikidata and Wikivoyage, population from Wikidata.