Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal is a sightseeing spot in Otaru where visitors see a narrow waterway lined with warehouses. Completed in 1923, it was Hokkaido's first canal, a landfill-style canal built by filling in the sea so large ships could carry cargo. At sunset, gas lamps reflect on the seawater and the buildings along the water look like mirrors, so visitors move between two or three photo spots. In winter, snowstorms and cold make it hard to stay long.