Mark Does Japan: Day 9

26 October 2025 Filed in: Photography | Travel

Saturday, 25 October 2025

Another moving day today but just a short ride from Sapporo to Otaru. To get there I took another train, the Rapid Airport. The airport is actually in the other direction so I wasn’t expecting a packed train but no one expects the packed train (sorry Monty Python).

People lining up for a train in the designated positions on the platform

Orderly queuing for the train

I had considered standing in front of where the train was expected to stop so I could photograph it for my series on Bluesky of #MarkDoesJapan trains but no I took my place in the dual line queue for the front of the first carriage. Fortunately I was travelling “light” with my suitcase making its own way to my next hotel via Yamato Transport so I only had the camera backpack and an overnight(ish) bag. Still I was standing all the way to Otaru, along with most of the people getting on in Sapporo.

Once in Otaru it was a bit of a walk to my hotel, no chance to check in yet but I could rid myself of the overnight bag, and I passed this place.

The sign outside of a wine shop has a koala holding a glass of red wine in front of an Australian flag

A wine shop

Apparently there is also a coffee shop run by an Aussie.

Otaru is a port town and it was a canal that used to provide access from the port to the warehouses. Now it serves as a tourist attraction with tour boats going up and down it. That didn’t seem hugely exciting, although the tourist material makes a big thing of it.

Looking down the canal from a bridge that crosses it. There is a small passenger boat attempting to turn around in the middle of the canel. On the right hand side of the canal are former warehouses now used as museums, restaurants, etc.

Otaru Canal

Some of the warehouses looked interesting, OK it’s the foliage again.

A brick warehouse with foliage attached to the brickword. Some of it is coloured red and could be interpreted as red exhaust flames coming from some foliage that is largely still green

foliage on a warehouse

This part of Otaru is a historic district and so there are plenty of historic buildings with multilingual plaques. Sadly from a photography perspective the path along the canal is lower than street level, and there is no path at street level, so photographing buildings along the road doesn’t really work. In Japan you are only supposed to cross at crossings so walking out to the median strip could get you into trouble too. I did walk down the street reading some of the plaques when I discovered one of the buildings housed a patisserie.

I did walk past it, twice, but it pulled me in 🙂 Curiously, or not, French radio playing in the background and a line up of tasty treats in the cabinet. Ordered one and a coffee and went upstairs and discovered a group having lunch. Menu on the table, only in Japanese but that’s where Google translate comes in. Cake and coffee arrive and I order a lunch set too.

The original order of coffee and cake is now in the background and in the foreground is a plate on a tray with two pieces of quiche and a salad

Lunch

Yes it was as good as it looks, and the coffee was good too.

Outside is a sign with the profile of a terrier and "Dog Parking" in English. At the very bottom part of the hook for tying up a leash is visible,

Dog parking

Sadly dogs had to stay outside.

After lunch I walked down the disused train line, built in 1903 to take freight to Sapporo, which is now a path. More warehouses along this path.

The single line is still in its right of way and there is a path next to it. At this road crossing there is a mounted wheel indicating that it was the "Temiya line".

Temiya line

Coming back from the terminus, which is now a museum, I passed the former Otaru branch of Nippon Yusen Co.

The former Nippon Yusen building

I assume the fountain is preparing for winter, or something.

Now I walked back along the canal and found a couple of interesting statues.

A statue of a woman with outstretched arms calling the seagulls

Woman calling seagulls

A statue of two children running together

friendship

There was also a former cannery building.

A four story building next to the canal. The building is off white with sets of large red doors at intervals along a balcony at each level. There is also a red staircase between each of the levels and an open lift between the large doors.

cannery

Also on my travels I came across this wonder, a cigarette vending machine. Given in Australia cigarettes have “plain” packaging and are not on view in shops seeing this on the street was a culture shock. Also seems like Seven Stars is still a brand (noting I visited Seven Stars Tree in Biei).

Just an ordinary looking vending machine except it is selling cigarettes for between 460 and 600 yen a packet. It won't accept the new 1000 yen note or the 500 yen coin and in theory you can't use it if you are under 20.

cigarette vending machine

The Post Office was closed but the display in the window was cute, and sadly not for sale.

Money boxes in the shape of a postbox (although not a modern one) in a variety of colours.

post office money boxes

And finally to counter the French lunch this is dinner, chirashi.

There is rice below all that fresh fish if you dig for it.

chirashi

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