About 45 minutes northwest of Sapporo by train is the small port town of Otaru.
About 100 years ago it became a point of trade for Hokkaido with Russia and the United States, the easternmost part of Russia being just across the Sea of Japan. Due to this very practical reason several western style warehouses were built along a canal so smaller ships could unload their cargo directly into them. While the warehouses are no longer used for this purpose they have been restored and now give Otaru a personality all of its own.
Restored in the 1980s, the Otaru Canal warehouses are now a popular tourist destination filled with shops, restaurants and even a microbrewery. I arrived in Otaru from Sapporo welcomed by a rainy day. I bought a foldable umbrella and walked from the station towards the canal. Along the way are covered shopping centers and remnants of the first train line that ran between Otaru and Sapporo. I was determined to get my pictures, so I grabbed a beer and sat on the stone ledge of the canal waiting out the rain.
As the rain got lighter, I snapped a few shots and wandered up and down the canal a few times. After this I headed towards Sakaimachi Street. As Otaru is in a unique spot where east meets west it is famous for a few things that are very European, such as glass blowing and music boxes. Apparently there is even a music box museum, I did not go, but I did check out an old European style hall that is lit only by gas lanterns, called Kitaichi Hall. Here guests can have coffee, cakes or as I did, the local Otaru brew.
It provided a quiet retreat on a rainy day. I reconciled that no matter what I would have to make the most of the poor weather on this trip. I prayed to the photography gods to let the rain stop, even for just 15 minutes at sundown, for I had bought and brought a tripod specifically for the Hokkaido night views.
I went to check in to my lodging for the night, where I was greeted by two elderly obaa-chan running the place. I asked them for dinner recommendations. Seafood is, of course, fresh, delicious and famous in Otaru so I hoped for some good sushi. What I was recommended was again a combination of east meets west at Wakadori Jidai Naruto. This is a restaurant that is known for its sushi and chicken, of all things. When I was seated I ordered their main set of sushi and fried chicken.
Who am I to argue? Sushi, good. Chicken, good. Together? Sure, why not? The seafood was fresh and the chicken was juicy. Full, I checked the time and saw that the sun was about to go down. If I was going to catch this canal at twilight I would have just a 20 minute window.
I left Naruto and headed to the canal once more, raindrops still falling. It seemed to get a little heavier and I thought about cutting my loses, turning around to go back to the station and calling it a day. I didn’t do that and made it to the canal, set up my tripod, adjusted my settings for a long exposure and just then the rain seemed to let up just a bit. I pressed the shutter button and waited 11 seconds.
I was elated. Waiting in the rain, lugging a tripod around had all became worth it in that moment. I moved a couple spots down the canal, set up again and took a few more shots.
By the time I had made it to the second bridge the sun had gone down further and with it the sky darker, almost black. During my last shots rain started to fall again, I held my umbrella very still over the camera. Satisfied and feeling very lucky I went back to my room for the night.
Otaru is very unique. This is the Hokkaido I had expected to find, the crossroads between east and west and a culture all of its own. I was glad it allowed me that small window as the sun went down to capture it with a few long exposures. I was glad that I didn’t give up, because I realized that my initial disappointment had shown me what I really was:
A photographer.
One thought on “Otaru, Hokkaido”
You certainly are an amazing photographer! There’s nothing one can do about the weather but you managed to get wonderful photos.
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