Otaru
Sign in to saveis a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination. Because it is a 25-minute drive from Sapporo, it has grown as a commuter town. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 107,432 and a population density of 441 persons per km2 (1,100 persons per mi2). The total area is . Although it is the largest city in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, the subprefecture's capital is the m
AI overview
Otaru is a historic port city in Hokkaido, Japan, located northwest of Sapporo, that has long served as the main port for Ishikari Bay. The city attracts tourists with its preserved historical buildings and also functions as a commuter town for nearby Sapporo, with a population of over 107,000 as of 2023.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Settlement.name
- Otaru
- Settlement.settlement_type
- City
- Settlement.image_skyline
- Otaru Montage.jpg
- Settlement.imagesize
- 280px
- Settlement.image_alt
- Otaru Montage Image
- Settlement.image_caption
- Top left: Otaru Canal Top right: The Bank of Japan Otaru Museum Middle right 1: - Glass Works in Otaru Middle right 2: - Temiya old railway line Bottom: - Vista from Mount Tengu
- Settlement.image_flag
- Flag of Otaru, Hokkaido.svg
- Settlement.image_seal
- Emblem of Otaru, Hokkaido.svg
- Settlement.image_map
- Otaru in Hokkaido Prefecture Ja.svg
- Settlement.map_caption
- Location of Otaru in Hokkaido
- Settlement.pushpin_map
- Japan
Article
22 sectionsContents
- History
- Geography
- Neighboring cities and towns
- Rivers
- Climate
- List of mayors (from 1923 to present)
- Transportation
- Education
- Universities
- National
- High schools
- Public
- Private
- Former
- Notable attractions
- Tenguyama
- Regional dishes
- Sister cities
- Notable people
- See also
- References
- External links
is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination. Because it is a 25-minute drive from Sapporo, it has grown as a commuter town. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 107,432 and a population density of 441 persons per km2 (1,100 persons per mi2). The total area is . Although it is the largest city in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, the subprefecture's capital is the more centrally located Kutchan.
== History == The name "Otaru" is of Ainu origin, possibly meaning "River running through the sandy beach". The very small remaining part of the Temiya Cave contains carvings from the Zoku-Jōmon period of Ainu history, around A.D. 400. Mount Akaiwa (Northwest part of Otaru) is memorialized in the Ainu tradition in the story of Sitonai, village chief's teenage daughter who had slain a white snake from the mountain's cave that demanded sacrifices of girls every year. The legend explains the name of a big cave on Mount Akaiwa, Hakuryu Gongen Cave (, "White Dragon Gongen Cave") and the reason why a shrine was built on the mountain (to protect the village from being haunted by the snake).