Otaru This & That

1. Otaru Aquarium, Nishin Goten(Herring Mansion)
Take No.10 or 11 bus to "Otaru Suizokukan(Aquarium)" from the gate No.3 of Hokkaido Chuo Bus Otaru Terminal in front of JR Otaru station. Otaru Aquarium is the last stop of the line. Herring Mansion is about 5-minuite-walk from the bus stop.

2. Mt.Tengu, The Glass Studio in Otaru
Take No.9 bus to "Tengu-yama Ropeway" from the gate No.3 of Chuo Bus Otaru Terminal.

Most of the popular tourist spots are accessible by route bus.

The bus fare for a ride is ¥210 in most lines.

Wing Bay Otaru's big tree is twinkling again. This year's tree is a 22 meter high and 100-year-old pine, that is decorated with 40,000 electric bulbs.

The bay area with the light of this big tree and the nearby Illuminations Contest is one of the high spots of Otaru Hokkaido in winter.

Place: front garden of "Nature Chamber", Wing Bay Otaru

Period: Nov.10 2006 - Feb.18 2007 (16:00 - 22:00)

If you are from Vancouver, Canada, this steam clock must be familiar to you.

The steam clock standing in front of "Otaru-Orgel-Doh", a popular music box store in Otaru Hokkaido, is the twin of Vancouver's, and it is the only one steam clock in the world except the original in Vancouver.

It tells the time at every quarter by piping sound. The clock certainly fits the historic townscape of this area, and is loved by both local people and tourists.

In winter, many places of towns in Hokkaido are decorated with illuminations, which please visitors' eyes.　I guess a lot of people are looking forward to seeing Sapporo White Illumination, however, Otaru also has a wonderful illuminations display that really sets off the harbor around the same time.

In the yacht harbor MARINE WAVE OTARU which is close to WING BAY OTARU, the illuminations contest is held from December 2, and yachts and boats floating at a por

Panju (ぱんぢゅう) is a classic sweet in Otaru, Hokkaido. It is a small bite-size baked cake filled with dainty and semisweet Tsubuan (sweet azuki beans). It is baked using an iron pan that has many hollows.

One recommendation is Nishikawa Panju shop in Miyako-dori shopping mall. Nishikawa's panju has very thin coating sponge. This very thin coating has its distinct eating quality with softness and hardness.

"Wagashi", the Japanese cake made from beans, rice powder and sugar, is pleasing to the eye as well as its taste.Wagashi is always made in consideration of Japanese nature. Flowers and fruits of the season usually are the main subject of wagashi. The photo is a Japanese persimmon, a chrysanthemum, and Japanese maple leaves. They are all associated with autumn of Japan.

When you visit Otaru in Hokkaido, what kind of food would like to try?
Sushi? Ramen? Jingisukan (Genghis Kahn, the lamb barbecue)? They are all very good,and should certainly be counted as Otarus delicacies.

However, have you tried fish cake? It comes in variety of flavors and shapes. It usually makes an ingredient in Japanese cooking like O-den or Japanese hotchpotch, but it is also very good as a snack.

It has been a year since GLOTAL began to post the blog. The first blog was about autumn colors in Asari Dam area. This year, let us introduce another beautiful autumn leaves spot where even people in Otaru Hokkaido hardly know.

There is a beautiful wooden building called "Wako-so" in Shiomidai, where is the area near JR Hokkaido Minami Otaru Station. Wako-so is a private property of a company in Otaru.

Do you love sweets? If so, you must be amato. Amato is a Japanese expression that means sweet tooth.

In Otaru, Hokkaido, there is a long-established cake shop exactly named Amato. You can enjoy a variety of cakes, and their original ice cream dessert called Cream Anmitsu and Cream Zenzai at the upstairs coffee shop as well as taking them out at the shop counter.

They deals in fresh cakes, other sweets as cookies, chocolate, and ice cream at the shop. All of them look appealing, but please pick out and try Marron Coron.