Top 5 tourist attractions in Otaru – sightseeing at its very best

Housing species that number well in excess of 250 from nearby parts including the Northern Sea, the Otaru Aquarium located in Shukutsu, Otaru City will seem the perfect way by which you may begin your holiday here. Seen as an ideal means for families to spend quality time together, the aquarium showcases an amazing array of marine life with its penguin and sea-lion shows being its major draws.

Accessible throughout all seasons, Mr. Tengu is a popular stopover for all holidaymakers and affords a bird's eye view of the local port as well as Ishikari Bay. While the views in the morning can be brilliant, to say the least, the spectacle come nightfall which includes the shimmering lights of the city below will soon grow on you. A climb up to the summit has to be done so via a ropeway and during winter, this peak is at the heart of skiing in the region.

If you struggle to fathom as to how Okaru and Venezia can be spoken of in the same sentence, then chances are you still would not have stumbled upon Kita-Venezia Museum. For time spent within this museum will portray an air of Venezia which will include a floating gondola on the 1st floor that will escort you to many more fascinating features. Remodeled rooms of the 18th century Grassi Palace coupled with a host of Venezian memorabilia beautify this attraction wherever you gaze may rest on.

Found a short distance from the Otaru Station in Tomioka is the gothic style shrine of the Otaru Tomioka Church which will be hard to miss out on when traversing through its immediate vicinity. This magnificent structure pays tribute to European Medieval ages where priceless architectural allure began to take root and flourish. Presently, visitors to the church will be awed by its red painted roof and beautiful stained glass windows which on a bright and sunny day would glisten for hours on end. Spending time at the chapel is more or less a given and if lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a couple in the midst of celebrating the most important day of their lives!

Go back in time to the days when ships called by to load and unload goods. A visit to the Otaru Channel which for long years was the heart and soul and some may argue that it still is would have you delighting in some old world charm. The Channel which was a gateway to the Hokkaido frontier days currently affords curious visitors a true taste of Otaru. The old warehouses that line either side of the Channel have been transformed into cosy restaurants and boutiques & shops that must be called at, regardless of where you may be arriving. Travellers residing at Grand Park Otaru or wanting to stay at an Otaru hotel near Jr Station must make note of the fact that the Otaru Channel is a ''must do'' when visiting this charming town.