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Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal

Bodies of WaterPoints of Interest & Landmarks
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  • taffandhubby
    Cardiff, United Kingdom275 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A very pleasant walk ……..
    …….. that is popular with tourists to this historic port. It is pleasant and flat, so an easy walk. In the surrounding area there are many good places to eat, buy snacks or gifts, explore several museums, and it is an easy walk uphill to the train station. The steam clock at on end of the tourist street is a popular sight, with an equally interesting clock over the road.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 14, 2023
  • Gretha
    Las Vegas, Nevada147 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cute City of Hokkaido is Otaru
    Otaru is a very cute city for me. It is more laid-back than Tokyo and Osaka. The Food is Great. The Ramen here is delicious. Otaru Canal is the Gem of this city, it is similar to the Amsterdam vibe but with an Asian twist. 😄 The City is very clean. We’ve noticed that there are only a few restaurants that are open at Day time and some open in the late afternoon for example at 17:00. However, we managed to find a good restaurant before that.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 8, 2023
  • L D
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Otaru Canal sightseeing by a Rickshaw!
    The Otaru Canal is a great place to take your time. A rickshaw is the best way to get around the sights around the canal. Ebisuya-san is cheerful, energetic, and gives detailed explanations. It's was an ultimate Japanese experience. 小樽運河は、じっくり時間をかけて回るのがいいですね。運河の周りの見所を回るのは、人力車がお勧めです。えびす屋さんは、明るく、元気で、丁寧な説明をしてくださいます。
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 3, 2024
  • 4.0 of 5 bubbles
    View in the snow is the best!
    The view is much better in winter than summer. The canal light festival was yet to begin in December. But the canal in daytime is beautiful! There’s a lot of shops and restaurant in canal area. So we could spend a whole day walking around.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 4, 2024
  • 197gabes
    Singapore, Singapore178 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must see attraction of Otaru
    You can never claim that you have visited Otaru without dropping by the Otaru canal for a couple of customary photos to post on social media. The unique thing about the canal is that its scenery is equally beautiful and mesmerizing regardless of the seasons. Making this a must stopover when visiting the city. There is practically no bad spot to take a photo of it. If you have time to spare then highly recommend taking the canal cruise for a whole different perspective of the canal. But if really short of time, then just head to the Asakusa bridge for a quick snap of the canal. Throw in this one as a tip to make your visit to Otaru canal a little more memorable. If you happen to be thirsty from all the walking and want to grab a cold one, there is the city own namesake beer at the warehouse brewery along the canal which also offers a great view. Just be careful as life vest is not included with your drink and you will literally be able to sit at the edge of the canal to enjoy it. Will always be looking forward to explore this place again and again.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 10, 2024
  • Mark T
    Ageo, Japan610 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nostalgic atmosphere.
    Otaru was the most prosperous city in Hokkaido.There are a lot of legacies in the city. These legacies became sightseeing spots in Otaru. Otaru canal is one of them. Please walk and enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere. 
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written July 21, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles3,145 reviews
Excellent
860
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1,393
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755
Poor
91
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46

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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197gabes
Singapore, Singapore178 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
You can never claim that you have visited Otaru without dropping by the Otaru canal for a couple of customary photos to post on social media.
The unique thing about the canal is that its scenery is equally beautiful and mesmerizing regardless of the seasons. Making this a must stopover when visiting the city.
There is practically no bad spot to take a photo of it. If you have time to spare then highly recommend taking the canal cruise for a whole different perspective of the canal. But if really short of time, then just head to the Asakusa bridge for a quick snap of the canal.
Throw in this one as a tip to make your visit to Otaru canal a little more memorable. If you happen to be thirsty from all the walking and want to grab a cold one, there is the city own namesake beer at the warehouse brewery along the canal which also offers a great view. Just be careful as life vest is not included with your drink and you will literally be able to sit at the edge of the canal to enjoy it.
Will always be looking forward to explore this place again and again.
Written June 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

leo r
Manila, Philippines127 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
it is best to take the train from Sapporo. as soon as you go out of the facade of the train station cross the street and go straight until you see otaru canal. best to see it during winter. drop by otaru beer garden.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ひろ44
Niigata, Japan3,193 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
This is the most famous tourist spot in Otaru.
It looks different during the day and at night.
The water in the canal is by no means clean.
You can't see it at night, so the dirtiness of the water is hidden.
There is a warehouse district on the sea side of the canal, but the current tenants are souvenir shops, a beer factory, and a hamburger chain restaurant.
The lighting at night was beautiful.
As I was walking along the canal, I was pressured by the tourist rickshaw drivers so many times that I felt pressured.
I imagine it's hard to pull a rickshaw with people on board, but 5,000 yen for 10 minutes is expensive.
By the way, they were filming a drama starring Sakaguchi Kentaro here.
I thought it was just the lighting of the canal, but it was the lighting for the filming.
As expected, the lighting was quite bright.
Google
Written September 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

よしめ
Chiba, Japan38,876 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Solo
This is the first tourist spot in Otaru. I visited here at different times of the day, in the summer, at dusk, and at night with snowy views in the winter. My favorite time is at dusk. I think the lights of the warehouses and the gas lights and their reflection in the canal are very beautiful and tasteful. The cruise at that time was also lovely.
Automatically translated
Written August 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

taffandhubby
Cardiff, UK275 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
…….. that is popular with tourists to this historic port. It is pleasant and flat, so an easy walk. In the surrounding area there are many good places to eat, buy snacks or gifts, explore several museums, and it is an easy walk uphill to the train station. The steam clock at on end of the tourist street is a popular sight, with an equally interesting clock over the road.
Written October 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suyo Wong
Jakarta, Indonesia851 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I visit Otaru Canal in February 2020 means lots of snow, cold, -6°, windy and snow festival all along the street and park.
I stop at Otaru Canal, this is the most romantic winter view, lots of candle from the winter festival volunteer. The view was dramatic and lots of people as well.
But I take some picture for you.
Please check the winter festival around the Otaru Canal before you visit here
But in others seasons, Otaru will be fine and beautiful as well. Hope I can visit here again and again.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thiha S
Singapore, Singapore203 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
The canal is normal but the history is rich. Worth to visit the place and walk along the canal.
Recommend to take the canal cruise which will explain the history of the canal and other interesting fun facts.
Written December 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nm
Tokyo, Japan52 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
When I saw the Otaru Canal in photos, I was imagining something like the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama. However, the photos you often see are probably taken with great effort at dusk. In reality, it's dark at night, and there aren't many shops in the area. It feels more like a well-maintained ruin than a warehouse.
Google
Written March 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

K H
Tokyo, Japan334 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Friends
The Otaru Canal retains an old-fashioned atmosphere with a cluster of stone warehouses and gas lights. You can enjoy the retro scenery by walking along the canal. There are many famous sweet shops (Lu Tao, Liuhua Ting, Bei Cong Tower, etc.), restaurants, souvenir shops and museums in the area, which is perfect for the city Bra. From November to January, it is lit up at night, giving you a fantastic atmosphere.
Automatically translated
Written November 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gretha
Las Vegas, NV147 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Otaru is a very cute city for me. It is more laid-back than Tokyo and Osaka. The Food is Great. The Ramen here is delicious. Otaru Canal is the Gem of this city, it is similar to the Amsterdam vibe but with an Asian twist. 😄
The City is very clean. We’ve noticed that there are only a few restaurants that are open at Day time and some open in the late afternoon for example at 17:00. However, we managed to find a good restaurant before that.
Written November 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Otaru Canal - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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