Last Updated: Dec 15, 2024

Onwards to Otaru

The Perfect Day Trip from Sapporo

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Recently, I took a group of my fellow content creators up to Hokkaido to visit the luxury resort Muwa Niseko. Located in Hokkaido’s skiing capital, this amazing facility is one that I’ve been supporting as a consultant this year regarding their influencer marketing for inbound tourism. As part of the package, we had Muwa Niseko’s concierge charter a car for us after shooting the resort so that we could drop by some of the nearby attractions. After a quick huddle with the other creators, we all decided to visit the coastal city of Otaru.

Historically, Otaru got its start as a major port on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido. From the early days of Hokkaido’s colonization in the latter years of the 1800s, Otaru served as a key center for trade thanks to its convenient coastal location. Even today, many old warehouses and former office buildings of shipping companies remain in Otaru, giving the city center a vibe reminiscent of a time long since passed. With fresh seafood to boot, Otaru makes for the perfect addition to any Hokkaido outing, and readers are highly encouraged to check it out while in the area.

While the cat is entirely out of the bag in the Asian markets, far fewer Western tourists know about Otaru — at least in comparison to…