Illumination at Otaru station

Hi!! Otaru station is in Christmas mood as well. When you come to Otaru, you will take a train from New Chitose airport to Otaru station and you will see Christmas illumination at Otaru station first in Otaru. Platforms in Otaru station are located on the first floor in British English. (second floor in American:)) So, when you arrive at Otaru station, you will see beautiful illumination on stairs.

After going through a gate, you will see a big Christmas tree.

We display glass works of Otaru glass studios.

I'll introduce illuminations of Canal plaza next time.

See you :)

Message tree in Canal plaza

There is a big Christmas tree in Canal plaza which is 4 meters in height.

Please look at this Christmas tree well.

Actually, there are many small trees on big tree.

We sell these small trees 500 yen each and you can lease your messages with these trees.

Message tree

This small tree has a message card.

We will display every message after this event every year.

Please come to leave your massage and complete big

message Christmas tree!!

Santa "Bunko"

Canal Plaza is in Christmas mood now.

You can enjoy Christmas illumination at Canal plaza.

"Bunko"(a statue of dog in front of Canal plaza) dressed up for Christmas.

Ms.Yoshida made clothes of Santa.

Um...he looks proud:-)

"Rakugo" and "Soba"

Hello, how are you?

I enjoyed traditional Japanese culture yesterday:)

Have you ever heard "Rakugo"??

We write, "落語" in the Chinese character(Kanji).

"Rakugo" is a kind of Japanese traditional entertainment.

We see the man who is sitting on the special stage and he tells us funny stories by playing various people and gestures.

Usually he wears "Kimono" when he do "Rakugo".

He is a comedian in English.

We call him "Rakugoka" in Japanese.

There are many "Rakugoka" in Japan and we can enjoy "Rakugo" on TV too.

I got a chance to enjoy "Rakugo" and "Soba" at a time in Otaru.

The Soba restaurant's name is "Yabuhan".

This event is held every year at "Yabuhan".

This Soba resturant has really old and wonderful atmosphere.

It takes 5 minutes from Otaru station by walk.

So, I decided to visit there after work with Ms.Yamamoto.

Sometime it might be difficult to understand for young people even if they are Japanese people because "Rakugoka" uses expression of old times.

ButI really enjoyed his stories.

In addition this soba was made with seaweeds that's why it looks green a little.

Everybody enjoyed Japanese Sake together.

Ticket

Goods for lovers of railroad

This is a postcard and admission ticket of Otaru museum.

They sell a lots of postcards in the Otaru museum.

Look at this ticket:)

It's like a real train ticket.

If you take a train in Japan, you'll see very similar ticket to this.

I found really lovely straps for mobile phone.

Do you know what kinds of miniatures these straps have?

①Handle

②Strap

③Hat for stationmaster

④Driving wheel

⑤Punch

⑥Signal light

(①～⑤ are 735 yen each. ⑥ is 1,050 yen.)

I found cool wristwatches.

(525 yen each)

These dials are similar to "Shinkansen" (bullet train).

Would you like them??:)

New shop at Otaru station

I posted about remodeling of Otaru station before.

One new shop "Kiosk" was completed 5 days ago and a view from our tourist information of Otaru station was changed. ↓

If you forget to get souvenirs in Otaru, you'll be able to get many kinds of stuffs at this shop.

Glass products, Otaru's sweets, lunch, Otaru's alcohol and so on.

I'll show you again when I find changes of Otaru station.

See you soon:)

Otaru saunter ♯5～Otaru museum～

After having a lunch, we visited "Otaru museum". We took a bus from the bus stop in front of "Otaru aquarium". It takes about 20 minutes to reach. We enjoyed a view of the sea.

This is a entrance of Museum.

There is a real steam locomotive right after coming in.

I took this photo wearing former costume of station attendant.

Good atmosphere...

Many plates...

There are explanations of Otaru's railroad not only in Japanese but also in English and Russian.

You can enjoy planetarium and studying about mysterious of chemistry.

There are exhibitions of railroad outside too.

I'm excited!!

You can experience to get on this steam locomotive in summer.

Some staffs were maintaining steam locomotive on that day.

Do you know what this woody one is?

Actually this is a snow blower.

The steam locomotive runs pushing this snow blower in winter.

I found a interesting manhole.

Usually we see sea otter's sculpture on Otaru's manhole but we saw steam locomotive's sculpture only in museum.

Otaru had the third oldest railroad in Japan.

That's why, there is a museum of railroad.

In addition, Otaru still keep the line as it is. (It's named "Temiya" railway. It takes only 5 minutes from Otaru station.)

Nowadays, it's one of stroll courses.

I'll show you some interesting goods of railroad.

Saunter in Otaru ♯4～Lunch at Aotsuka restaurant～

After climbing the mountain, we were starving...:-O We decided to have a lunch at "Aotsuka restaurant".

"Aotsuka restaurant" is located quite near from the mountain where we climbed. You can enjoy many kinds of seafood at this restaurant. There is a "Otaru quarium" as well. If you would like to enjoy Otaru's seafood, I recommend to eat "Herring".

Um...good smell. We ordered herring set meal. Do you know what these foods are?

①Rice

②Miso soup of scallop's young shell

③Grilled herring

④Seaweed boiled in soy sauce

⑤Salted squid guts

⑥Pickled vege

We were greatly pleased about this taste!!:)

We went to Otaru museum next...

Saunter in Otaru ♯3～Otaru coastal footpath～

Hi, how are you? Finally I could go to climb a mountain in Otaru!! The weather was bad recently so, I worried about it. I went to "Otaru coastal footpath" with Ms.Yoshida and Ms.Kasahara. (She is a staff of ice cream shop Misshu house.) I'll show you Otaru's beautiful views today.

This is a bus stop named "Chuo-douri". It takes about 5 minutes from Otaru station. We took a bus from here bound for "Kamome danchi".

This is a local bus. Many local people in Otaru use it. You can enjoy local atmosphere.

I'll let you know how to get a bus.

In the charge of the bus of Otaru, most places are 210 yen.

Please press a button before you get off to let a bus driver know.

When you get of the bus, just put your fare to coin box↓

We got off the bus at this bus stop "Akaiwa 2 chome".

It takes 20 minutes from this bus stop to the entrance of Otaru coastal footpath.

On this way, we really enjoyed beautiful nature. We might see bears so, I borrowed a bell from Ms.Yamamoto to avoid them.

This is a signboard and map at the entrance↓↓

　　　

We　enjoyed beautiful views of sea on the way...

This area is called "Aka-iwa" (Aka-iwa means "Red rock"), so we could see red ground and rocks.

Ms.Kasahara(left) and Ms.Yoshida

"Mado iwa" (means "window rock")

Though they were on the sheer clift, we saw many mysterious statues.

It's me in "Shukutsu panorama observatory".

We have map of Otaru coastal footpath in each tourist informations.

Please visit us to get it:-)