is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

Shiribeshi Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The subprefecture's capital is Kutchan. As of July 31, 2004, the estimated population was 256,184 and the area was 4,305.65 km2. Geography Municipalities Mergers History *18 ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

, Japan, northwest of

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...

. The city faces

Ishikari Bay is a bay located in Hokkaido of Japan, connected to the Sea of Japan. Ishikari Bay is the area east of the straight line from Cape Shakotan on the west of Shakotan Peninsula to Cape Ofuyu. Geography Border communities ;Shiribeshi Subprefecture ...

and the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination. Because it is a 25-minute drive from Sapporo, it has recently grown as a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

. As of July 31, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 115,333 and a population density of 474.37 persons per km² (1,228.6 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is . Although it is the largest city in

, the subprefecture's capital is the more centrally located

Kutchan is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Kutchan lies slightly north of the volcano Mount Yōtei, and is approximately 50 kilometers west of Sapporo. The subprefecture government offices are located in this town, making it ...

History

The city was an Ainu habitation, and the name "Otaru" is recognised as being of Ainu origin, possibly meaning "River running through the sandy beach". The very small remaining part of the Temiya Cave contains carvings from the Zoku-Jōmon period of Ainu history, around A.D. 400. Mount Akaiwa (Northwest part of Otaru) is memorialized in the Ainu tradition in the story of

Sitonai Sitonai ( Ainu: シトナイ) is a mythical Ainu heroine, known for a legend of slaying a giant snake of Akaiwa mountain (located northwest to Otaru). Synopsis In a cave in Akaiwa mountain there lived a giant serpent (the height of the body was ...

, village chief's teenage daughter who had slain a white snake from the mountain's cave that demanded sacrifices of girls every year. The legend explains the name of a big cave on Mount Akaiwa, Hakuryu Gongen Cave (白竜権現洞窟, lit. White Dragon

Gongen A , literally "incarnation", was believed to be the manifestation of a buddha in the form of an indigenous kami, an entity who had come to guide the people to salvation, during the era of shinbutsu-shūgō in premodern Japan.Encyclopedia of Shint ...

Cave) and the reason why a shrine was built on the mountain (to protect the village from being haunted by the snake). Otaru was recognised as a village by the ''

bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' in 1865, and in 1880 the first railway line in Hokkaido was opened with daily service between Otaru and Sapporo. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Otaru as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. The city flourished well as the financial and business center in Hokkaido as well as the trade port with Japanese ruled southern

Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh: ...

until the 1920s. Otaru was redesignated as a city on August 1, 1922. On December 26, 1924, a freight train loaded with 600 cases of dynamite exploded in Temiya Station, damaging the warehouse, the harbour facilities, and the surrounding area. Local officials stated that at least 94 were killed and 200 injured in this disaster. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Otaru housed a prison camp for

Aleuts The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...

taken there following the

Japanese occupation of Attu The Japanese occupation of Attu was the result of an invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II. Imperial Japanese Army troops landed on 7 June 1942 the day after the invasion of Kiska. The invasions on Attu Island and Kiska ...

. During the closing stages of the war, Otaru was bombed by American naval aircraft in July 1945. Since the 1950s, as the coal industry around the city went into a decline, the status of the economic hub shifted from Otaru to Sapporo. File:Otaruharbour-1876.png, Otaru in 1876 File:Otaru City in Hokkaido 1909 Meiji 42.png, Otaru in 1909 File:Otaru Port in Hokkaido 1909 Meiji 42.png, Otaru port in 1909 File:130823 Bank of Japan Otaru Museum02s4.jpg, Former

Bank of Japan The is the central bank of Japan.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005). "Nihon Ginkō" in The bank is often called for short. It has its headquarters in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. History Like most modern Japanese instituti ...

Otaru Branch, now home to the Otaru Museum

Geography

Otaru is a

port town A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more Wharf, wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can a ...

on the coast of the

in northern

. The southern portion of the city is characterized by the steep slopes of various mountains (notably Tenguyama), where the altitude of the land sharply drops from the mountains to the sea. The land available between the coast and mountains has been almost completely developed, and the developed part of the city on the mountain slopes is called ''Saka-no-machi'', or "Hill town", including hills named ''Funamizaka'' (Boat-view Hill) and ''Jigokuzaka'' (Hell Hill).

Neighboring cities and towns

* Shiribeshi ** Yoichi District: Yoichi, Akaigawa * Ishikari **

( Teine-ku, Minami-ku), Ishikari

Rivers

Some of the rivers in Otaru are: Hoshioki, Kiraichi, Zenibako, Hariusu,

Asari Asari may refer to: The Asari are a caste of artisans and craftsmen who do metal working and make jewelry. They are also involved in the construction trades of carpentry and masonry. They are followers of Vishvakarman, the Hindu god of craftsmen an ...

, Katsunai, Shioya, Myoken, Irifune.

Climate

In the summer the weather, like all of western Hokkaido, is very warm and balmy, with a maximum temperature of around and high humidity – not as hot as southern Japan. In the winter, however, Otaru is very snowy, receiving as much as of snow from November to March, when it snows almost constantly and sunshine levels are extremely low. The average maximum snow cover is . Extreme temperatures have ranged from on July 28, 2021, to on January 24, 1954, in which month the highest snowfall of occurred. Monthly precipitation totals in a record dating back to 1943 have ranged from in August 1962 to in June 2007.

List of mayors (from 1923 to present)

Transportation

JR Hokkaido The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...

Station **

Hakodate Main Line The is a railway line connecting the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa via Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The Sawara Line, a 35 km loop line from Ōnuma to Mo ...

: Ranshima – Shioya –

Otaru is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tou ...

– Minami-Otaru – Otaru-Chikkō –

– Zenibako * Otaru Port Ferry Terminal(A

Shin Nihonkai Ferry is a marine transportation company based in Japan. Ships and Routes Highspeed Ferries Conventional Ferries Terminals Shin Nihonkai Ferry operates from six terminals. ;Maizuru ferry terminal :Located in Maizuru, Kyoto () ; Tsuruga fe ...

operates two ferries daily)

Education

Universities

National

Otaru University of Commerce is a national university in Japan. The main campus of the university is in Otaru, Hokkaido, with a satellite campus in Chūō-ku, Sapporo. Overview The university is often called "Taru-shō" or "Shō-dai". The graduate university has a MBA p ...

Colleges

* Otaru Junior College

High schools

Public

Hokkaido Otaru Choryo High School Hokkaido Otaru Choryo High School (北海道小樽潮陵高等学校, ''Hokkaidō Otaru Chōryō Kōtō Gakkō'') is a high school in Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan, founded in 1902. Hokkaido Otaru Choryo High School is one of high schools administrated ...

* Hokkaido Otaru Ouyou High School * Hokkaido Otaru Fisheries High School * Hokkaido Otaru Create Futures High School

=Former

= * Hokkaido Otaru Commercial High School * Hokkaido Otaru Technical High School

Private

* Futaba Gakuen High School * Hokusho High School * Otaru Meihou High School

Notable attractions

A canal adorned with Victorian-style street lamps runs through Otaru. The city attracts a large number of Japanese tourists as well as Russian visitors. A popular attraction on the west side of the city is Nishin Goten (

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

mansion). This large wooden building was built in 1897 and was once the house of Fukumatsu Tanaka, a magnate of the fishing industry. It was originally built in nearby Tomari village and moved in 1958. Visitors can clearly see the difference between the squalid conditions of the first floor sleeping quarters of 120 workers and the ground floor luxury of the magnate's rooms. Another notable building is the Sakaushi residence, constructed by Yoshiya Tanoue, a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Tomioka Catholic church is also a popular spot. Many of the buildings have been designated as landmark architecture. Otaru is well known for its beer, and Otaru Beer, next to the canal, is a popular restaurant with a medieval theme. Otaru is also known for its freshness

sushi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...

. Another food attraction unique to Otaru is the rainbow tower ice cream. The town also has substantial shopping arcades and bazaars, but fewer than nearby

. Otaru's prominent industries are

arts and crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

, such as

studio glass Studio glass is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. The glass objects created are intended to make a sculptural or decorative statement. Though usage varies, the term is properly res ...

and

musical box A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc to pluck the tuned teeth (or ''lamellae'') ...

es. Of the latter, it maintains the Otaru Music Box Museum.

Tenguyama

Otaru is an important port for Sapporo, and part of this hilly city is on the lower slopes of Tenguyama, a good place for skiing and other winter sports and one that is accessible via

Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway The is Japanese aerial lift line in Otaru, Hokkaidō, operated by . The company also operates bus terminals, Sapporo Municipal Subway kiosks, and ski resorts. Opened in 1979, the line climbs with the panoramic view of the city. There also is , whi ...

Sister cities

Nakhodka Nakhodka ( rus, Нахо́дка, p=nɐˈxotkə) is a port city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located on the Trudny Peninsula jutting into the Nakhodka Bay of the Sea of Japan, about east of Vladivostok, the administrative center of the krai. Po ...

, Russia *

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand *

Gangseo District, Seoul Gangseo District (Gangseo-gu) (Hangul: 강서구, Hanja: 江西區, ) is one of the 25 wards (''gu'') of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the south side of the Han River. Gimpo Airport is in Gonghang-dong, where many flights fly to ci ...

, South Korea

Notable people

Seiji Aochi (June 21, 1942 – August 14, 2008) was a Japanese ski jumper who competed in the early 1970s. His best finish was a bronze medal in the Individual normal hill event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. Aochi attended Meiji University ...

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and

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(

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) *

Yōko Asagami is a Japanese voice actress who is represented by Aksent. She is most known for the roles of Yuki Mori (''Space Battleship Yamato'') and Saeko Nogami (''City Hunter''). Her married name is . Asagmi was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō. In 1992, she b ...

Japanese voice actress Voice acting in Japan is an industry where actors provide voice-overs as characters or narrators in media including anime, video games, audio dramas, commercials, and dubbing for non-Japanese films and television programs. In Japan, and a ...

(''

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'' and ''

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'') * Gennosuke Fuse, anatomist of the

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, Japanese poet, novelist, and translator *

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and critic (''

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'') *

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, Japanese

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, and

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* Hinako Kitano, actress and model (ex-

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'', ''

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'', ''

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'' and ''

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Masaru Konuma is a Japanese film director known for his '' Roman Porno'' films for Nikkatsu during the 1970s. Life and career Early life Masaru Konuma was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, on December 30, 1937. Konuma retains no memories of his father who was a te ...

(''

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'') *

Kōtetsuyama Toyoya (July 9, 1942 – April 14, 1996), born , was a sumo wrestler from Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan. His highest rank was ''sekiwake''. After his retirement he became an elder of the Japan Sumo Association and the head coach of Onaruto stable. Ca ...

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Natsuhiko Kyogoku is a Japanese mystery writer, who is a member of Ōsawa Office. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of Japan and the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan. Three of his novels have been turned into feature films; ''Mōryō no Hako'', which w ...

, Japanese

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and co-founder of

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, film producer, radio personality and TV presenter *

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(''

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'') *

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, Japanese actor (''

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, Japanese actor (''

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'' and ''

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) *

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, Japanese female mixed martial arts fighter,

kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

and former boxer and

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, Academy Award-winning

and standards singer *

Hirokazu Yagi (born 26 December 1959) is a Japanese former ski jumper. Career His best-known finish was a Silver Medal in the Individual Normal Hill at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, (Tied with Manfred Deckert of East Germany East ...

* Akiko Yamanaka,

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Ichiro Yamaguchi , is a Japanese musician. He is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the Hokkaido rock band Sakanaction. Biography Ichiro Yamaguchi was born in Otaru, Hokkaido in 1980. He grew up listening to a wide variety of music, as his father ran a ...

, musician (

Sakanaction , stylised as sakanaction, are a Japanese rock band from Sapporo, Hokkaido. Their music is a fusion of alternative rock, electronic, pop, and new wave styles. The band consists of five members: Ichiro Yamaguchi, Motoharu Iwadera, Ami Kusakari, ...

) *

Sawao Yamanaka are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. The group has released 22 studio albums, several Extended play, EPs and compilations, and over 40 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the ...

, musician (

The Pillows are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. The group has released 22 studio albums, several Extended play, EPs and compilations, and over 40 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the ...

) * Kazumi Yamashita,

('' The Life of Genius Professor Yanagizawa'')

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otaru, Hokkaido Cities in Hokkaido Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan

History

Geography

Neighboring cities and towns

Rivers

Climate

List of mayors (from 1923 to present)

Transportation

Education

Universities

National

Colleges

High schools

Public

=Former

Private

Notable attractions

Tenguyama

Sister cities

Notable people

See also

References

External links