Otaru

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 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
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption:  
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_name: Japan
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Region
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Hokkaido
Settlement.subdivision_type2: Prefecture
Settlement.subdivision_name2: Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official name: 小樽市
Population: 102652
Area: 243.83
Official website: www.city.otaru.lg.jp
Image: Otaru from Tenguyama.JPG
Dialing code: 0134

Show 6 more facts

name in kana: おたるし
Commons category: Otaru, Hokkaido
postal code: 047-8660
native label: 小樽市
inception: 1922-04-20
social media followers: 11737

Sources (10)

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Article

22 sections

Contents

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

== 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).