City of Nostalgic Romanticism and the Old Northern Wall Street: Otaru -Ken's Travel Photo Diary-

Hokkaido is the dream destination of many travellers, if you plan to go there, might as well add a spot on the trip - Otaru Canal. The canal was once a prosperous trading centre and it has a name called “The Northern Wall Street”. Although it is no longer as busy as it used to be, remains of the once populous city are still visible.

Otaru was one of Hokkaido's biggest markets during Meiji period (1868) when the Japanese government inducted the city to be the main port of trade, openning Sapporo(the present prefecture capital) as a base of transit point.

After that, in order to spit out Otaru Port surge in the amount of freight, they constructed the Otaru Canal. After World War II, Otaru Port is no longer a maritime centre, and the historic warehouse district and shops along the coast have also declined.

Later, a number of parties interested in preserving the once prosperous city and its quaint style gathered to continue its glory, and Otaru Canal became a symbol of the city as well as a popular tourist attraction.

As time passed, Otaru Canal had lost its original function, but remains loved by many, constituting a great part of the city’s identity.

The city and its people kept Otaru Canal as it appeared back in its golden days, becoming one of the most nostalgic romantic streets in Japan. After careful planning remediation, Otaru Canal not only retained the original style, but also adds a lot of romantic and beautiful design: a sidewalk the total length of 1120 meters, 63 elegant gas lamps along the canal, illuminated by the sunset putting a shadow on the water surface.

If you have the chance to walk along Otaru Canal, I highly recommend you bring a camera with you, as every step opens a new scene that resembles that of a 1940s American film with Fred Astaire dancing on the stonewalks, maybe humming “Singing in the Rain” on the way.