Hokkaido - Day 4 (Sankaku Market - Otaru Canal - Sakaimachihondori Street - Otaru Taisho Glass Palace - Snoopy Village - Kitaichi Glass Otaru - Antique Museum 1 - Otaru Music Box Museum - Sapporo)

It was a chilly Saturday morning with the temperature of -5℃. We left New Otani Inn Sapporo before 9am and walked to the Tokeidai mae bus stop located opposite the Sapporo Clock Tower. Instead of taking the train, we decided to take the bus (¥730 per person). The bus driver handed us two tickets when we boarded, and we paid when we got off. The journey took approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes to Otaru Eki mae Bus Terminal. The bus passed by Shiroi Koibito Park as well.

Lawson

Pathway covered in snow

Sapporo Clock Tower

Tokeidai mae bus stop opposite Sapporo Clock Tower

Bus tickets

Otaru Eki mae Bus Terminal

Sankaku Market is just a 3-minute walk (250m) from the Otaru Eki mae Bus Terminal. The market is known for its fresh seafood, including sushi and crab. You can actually buy fresh seafood at the market and have it cooked at the restaurant. We randomly chose a stall selling king crab, and we must pay for the crab before getting a ticket from a ticketing machine in front of the restaurant. You can snap a photo with the live crab before they start cooking.

North Donburi Restaurant Takinami Shokudo operates on a pre-order system. Basically, you must take a number from the ticketing machine and wait near the restaurant. Then, they will call up your number and give you a menu to place your order. On top of the king crab, we add on one piece of scallop and a salmon set. Once done, you can walk around and come back later while waiting for your seat. You can even check your queue status with the QR code. However, if you are not there when your seat is called, it will be offered to the next customer.

We finally got a seat after waiting for an hour. They served free-flowing ice water or green tea and a complimentary dried crab snack, which were delicious and reminded me of dried cuttlefish. When the king crab was ready, they brought it to the table for us to snap a photo before taking it back to cut for us. The crab was fresh and slightly sweet. The salmon set comes with a slice of grilled salmon, pickled radish, marinated raw octopus, salmon tartar, a bowl of rice, and seaweed soup.

This is the first time I tried raw octopus. It had a chewy texture and tasted decent. However, it's difficult to chew and swallow. The salmon tartar was just okay for me, but I still don't enjoy eating raw food. The texture and taste were fine, but it wasn't something I'd go for again. I prefer my octopus and salmon cooked rather than raw. After paying for our lunch, they gave us two complimentary lollipops.

(Total bill - ¥14,140)

Sankaku Market

Sankaku Market

Live crabs

Live crabs

Sankaku Market

North Donburi Restaurant Takinami Shokudo

Live king crabs

North Donburi Restaurant Takinami Shokudo

Dried crab snack, hot green tea and iced water

King crab - ¥12,600

King crab

1pc of scallop - ¥440 and salmon set - ¥1,100

Salmon set comes with rice and seaweed soup

King crab

Wasabi

Complimentary lollipops

Address:

Sankaku Market

North Donburi Restaurant Takinami Shokudo

3 Chome-10-16 Inaho, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0032,

Japan

It started snowing after lunch. We walked to Otaru Canal, followed by the Otaru Art Base. The Otaru Canal is one of the must-see when visiting Otaru. It is lined with stone warehouses and historical buildings along the 1,140m long canal. It's stunning in the winter and a great spot for photography. We didn't enter the Otaru Art Base because there is an entrance fee.

 

Otaru

Otaru

Miyakodori Street

Snowball fighting

Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal

My snowman

Otaru Canal

Otaru Canal

Otaru Art Base

Address:

Otaru Art Base

1 Chome-3-1 Ironai, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0031,

Japan

Opening hours: 9.30am to 5pm (Admission fee: ¥2,900 for adult)

The Otaru Taisho Glass Palace is just a 2-minute walk (120m) from the Otaru Art Base. The shop is known for its hand-blown glass products. The glassware is beautiful with vibrant colours and intricate designs. Sakaimachihondori Street is lined with glassware shops, traditional crafts, souvenirs, and food, making it a wonderful place to explore and experience the charm of Otaru.

Otaru Taisho Glass Palace

Otaru Taisho Glass Palace

Address:

Otaru Taisho Glass Palace

1 Chome-1-8 Ironai, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0031,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 7pm

Sakaihashi bridge and a cute dog soft toy

Kamaei Factory Outlet is famous for their fish cake, and there's a small dining area where you can sit and enjoy your meal. You can also watch their production line through a glass window, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how the fish cakes are made. We ordered their most popular Hira-ten (a plain flavoured fish cake that's slightly sweet), along with the most recommended pan roll (fish cake with minced pork, onion, and pepper wrapped in a thin slice of bread). The fish cake had a firm, smooth, and slightly springy texture, though it would be perfect if it were more savory. Apart from that, the pan roll had a strong onion taste. 

Kamaei

Behind the scenes at how the fish cakes are made

Oi Ocha (unsweetened) - ¥194

Hira-ten (a plain flavoured fish cake that's slightly sweet) - ¥226

Pan roll (fish cake with minced pork, onion, and pepper wrapped in a thin slice of bread) - ¥237

Address:

Kamaei Factory Outlet

3-7 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Sakaimachihondori Street

Sawawa is just a 4-minute walk (300m) from the Kamaei Factory Outlet. We had a rich green tea ice cream (full flavour) and matcha warabi-mochi (matcha bracken cake). The green tea ice cream had a slight bitterness, but it was creamy and rich in flavour. The warabi-mochi had a jelly-like texture. Overall, my partner loves the green tea ice cream so much that he couldn't stop talking about it.

Sawawa

Rich green tea ice cream (full flavour) and matcha warabi-mochi (matcha bracken cake) - ¥710

Address:
Sawawa
4-14 Sakaimachi, Otaru,
Hokkaido 047-0027,
Japan
Opening hours: 9.30am to 5.30pm

LeTAO is a popular confectionery and patisserie store known for its Fromage double cheesecake. Along the Sakaimachihondori Street, you will find many LeTAO stores. They offer various free samples for customers to try out their products before making a purchase. I tried their Fromage double cheesecake, which was creamy, slightly sweet, and had a light cheese flavour. I find it so-so because I prefer a cheesier cake.

We also tried their Le Bon Financier through the free sampling, but I found it a bit too sweet and dry for my taste. I bought their cream Glacee Jersey Mariage, which is a combination of cream Glacee Jersey milk and cream Glacee Cinq Fromage. It was delicious. The ice cream was creamy, smooth, and rich, with a strong milk taste and a subtle hint of cheese. The cone was also a perfect complement to the ice cream, adding a nice crunch. When we were about to leave the shop, they had free sampling for their chocolate double. It tasted better than the Fromage double even though it had a light cheese flavour as well.

LeTAO Pathos

Fromage double

Free sampling of Le Bon Financier and cream Glacee Jersey Mariage - ¥450

Chocolate Double

Address:

LeTAO Pathos

5-22 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Snoopy Cha-Ya is a cute cafe and store located opposite LeTAO Pathos. You can enjoy a variety of themed desserts, drinks, and snacks, all inspired by the cute and iconic dog. They also sell a range of Snoopy merchandise, including souvenirs, stuffed animals, and other collectibles such as fridge magnets. Since I'm a big fan of Snoopy, I couldn't resist buying a fridge magnet as a keepsake from my visit to Otaru.

Snoopy Village

Snoopy Village

Snoopy

Snoopy fridge magnet - ¥495

Address:

Snoopy Cha-Ya

6-4 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9.30am to 5.30pm

We next walked to Kitachi Glass Otaru, and the shop was huge. It was filled with beautiful glassware and lamps. If it weren't for the luggage space constraint, I would have bought a piece to bring back home.

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Address:

Kitaichi Glass Otaru

7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Kitaichi Glass Crystal Kan

Sakaimachihondori Street

We walked to Rokkatei Otaru Canal Store and bought a cream puff. Taking it to go saved you ¥2. The puff was filled with custard cream, which was a bit too sweet for my liking. Right next to Rokkatei Otaru Canal Store is Kitakaro Otaru Main Shop, but unfortunately, all their items, including ice cream, had been sold out at 4.40pm. As we walked out of the store, heavy graupel began to fall.

Rokkatei Otaru Canal Store

Cream puff - ¥120

Kitakaro Otaru Main Shop

Kitakaro Otaru Main Shop

Address:

Rokkatei Otaru Canal Store

7-22 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 10am to 5.30pm

We saw another LeTAO store and decided to try out their free samples. We had a few samples, such as the Petit chocolat amande and Maalu chocolat blanc, but they all turned out to be a bit too sweet for my liking.

 

LeTAO Main Store

LeTAO

Address:

LeTAO Main Store

7-16 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

The Antique Museum 1 is just beside the LeTAO store. The shop sells various music boxes, glassware, and antiques. There is a large music box where you can sit and experience an unprecedented auditory feast, immersing yourself in the beautiful sounds it produces.

Antique Museum 1

Antique Museum 1

Antique Museum 1

Antique Museum 1

Music box (Sit in the music box to experience an unprecedented auditory feast)

Address:

Antique Museum 1

6-1-3 Sakaimachi, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0027,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

There is an Otaru steam clock in front of the Otaru Music Box Museum. We arrived just in time for the 5pm chime, with music playing and the chimney chiming. The museum is huge, and there were lots of antique displays and toys, including Totoro and Monchhichi. After exploring, we decided to head back to Sapporo for dinner.

 

Otaru Music Box Museum

Otaru Music Box Museum

Otaru Music Box Museum

Totoro

Monchhichi

Otaru Music Box Museum

Address:

Otaru Music Box Museum

4-1 Sumiyoshicho, Otaru,

Hokkaido 047-0015,

Japan

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Instead of taking the train, we decided to take the bus back to Sapporo. However, we boarded the wrong bus, which didn't stop at Sapporo Station (¥730 per person). My partner noticed the bus heading further and further from our intended route on Google Maps. So, halfway through, we rang the bell, got off at a bus stop, and walked to Kotoni Station. From there, we took the subway back to Odori Station (¥250 per person).

Street covered in snow

Street covered in snow

Bus tickets

Subway tickets from Kotoni Station to Odori Station (Tozai line)

Street covered in snow

We walked from Odori Station to Soup Curry Garaku, but it had already closed by 7.05pm. So we walked to Soup Curry Treasure, which is about a 2-minute walk (160m) from Soup Curry Garaku, and queued there for almost an hour under the heavy snow. The snow was round and small. While waiting in front of the shop, we saw more than 10 people slip and nearly fall due to the frozen ice on the ground.

Finally it was our turn, and we were among the last customers since the shop closed at 8.30pm. My partner ordered the beef skirt steak with original stock flavour while I chose the crispy fried chicken thigh with the blessing of the sea stock flavour. I went with level 1 spiciness, while my partner chose level 3. We ordered medium rice, which was a bit hard for my liking. Both the beef skirt steak and crispy fried chicken thigh come with beef skirt, paprika, cabbage, red cabbage, bean sprouts, broccoli, potato, carrot, quail egg, burdock root, and lotus root.

There are three types of stock for you to choose from:

a) Original stock flavour - made with 30 different ingredients, including chicken, pork and vegetables. This tedious made-from-scratch soup has a deep umami flavour

b) Blessing of the sea - Bouillabaisse-style soup curry made with cod, shrimp, scallops and other seafood (+¥350)

c) Blessing of the mountain - A mild soup made with sesame, soy milk, anchovies, and an assortment of herbs (+¥250)

You can also add extra soup for an additional ¥220 or choose from various toppings such as cheese on rice, pumpkin, eggplant, potato, shimeji mushrooms, corn, broccoli, quail eggs, natto, or okra. Each topping cost an additional ¥120.

My soup tasted better than my partner's. It's creamier and more flavourful, though both soups had a slight sourness. The chicken was fresh and slightly crispy on the outside. Overall, it was a nice meal. They also provide free flow of iced water with lemon slices.

(Total bill - ¥3,670)

Soup Curry Treasure

Restaurant ambience

Iced water

Medium rice

 Beef skirt steak - ¥1,790

Crispy fried chicken thigh - ¥1,530 with blessing of the sea stock flavour - top up ¥350

Address:

Soup Curry Treasure
Asuka Building 1F

1 Chome−8−2, Minami 2 Jonishi,

Chuo Ward, Sapporo,

Hokkaido 060-0062,

Japan

We reached the hotel at 9.10pm. However, despite having posted the housekeeping sign, they didn't change our towels or take out the rubbish. My partner decided to do some laundry that night, but it turned into the longest laundry session ever. Even after two hours of drying, the clothes were still damp. In the end, we have to hang them in our room. We finally went to sleep at 2am, and the next morning we had to wake up early to catch the bus to Niseko.