Otaru Day Tour
Otaru Music Box Museum. In the old days, church bells are rung by workers by striking it with a hammer. A mechanism soon evolved whereby a wooden cylinder with pins attached could be rotated in such a way that each pin would cause a hammer to strike. The arrangement of numerous bells, each with its own unique tone and sound, enabled melodies to be automatically played. This is how the music boxes are eventually invented. This museum houses all kinds of music boxes and an English pipe organ with 690 pipes.
Otaru is also well known as a town of glass manufacturing. This began with the production of kerosene lamps and floating balls used in the herring fishery. Today, there are many stores selling glassware in Otaru. Among them, the one with the oldest history is Kitaichi Glass which was founded in 1901. Kitaichi Glass currently has a couple of stores and a museum displaying a variety of glasswork. It also has a workshop where the manufacturing process can be observed and glass creation can be experienced.
Otaru Canal. Built in 1923, the canal became a symbol of the city of Otaru. Until the mid-1900s, large vessels had to unload their cargoes to smaller ships that travel to the center of the city via the canal. With the development of technology, big vessels could be unloaded directly with modern facilities, and the canal became obsolete. Part of it was restored with a paved promenade and gas lights and became a popular spot for visitors.
Otaru enjoyed a bountiful fortune brought in by herring fishing from the Meiji to the Taisho era. Fishery owners competed by having extravagant homes built for themselves. These residences which were used for fish processing as well were nicknamed Nishin Goten (Herring Mansion). The building which was in Otaru became the first residential building to be designated as Hokkaido's tangible cultural asset. The material used for this home consists of Hokkaido fir and Tohoku region cypress wood. The power and wealth of the fishermen during the height of the herring era are reflected in the amount of wood used for the historic residence which is enough to supply the construction of 20 standard houses. The mansion is now open to the public and displays tools used during the time as well as references and photographs.