Guide to Otaru winter wonderland and collect Otaru limited character merchandises

About Otaru

Otaru-shi, Hokkaido, is a port town with a charming atmosphere and romantic canals winding through it. It is only a short train ride from Sapporo Station, which takes around 30 to 35 minutes by the JR Chitose-Hakodate Main Line rapid train. It is perfect for a day trip where you may experience some old town charm, away from the hustle and bustle of the Sapporo City.

💡Pro Tip: There are lockers inside the Otaru Sation where you may store your luggages (turn left after you exit the gate and walk to the end). If unfortunately the lockers inside the station are all full, you may check out more lockers just outside of the station (about a minute walk to the right of Otaru Station) where locker supply is plentiful, especially for large luggages! (we got you!) Please also note the closing time of the lockers to avoid not being able to retrieve your luggage in time!

Let's get started!

We recommend starting off from Minami-Otaru Station, one stop before Otaru Station on the JR Chitose-Hakodate Main Line. If you are carrying large luggages, we recommend dropping off the luggages at the lockers mentioned, and take one stop back to Minami-Otaru Station to start our journey! Let's do some shopping first and fill our bellies along the way, which will then bring us to the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival at the very end of our stroll, as it only gets lit up from 17:00!