Business Hours for year-end and new-year

These three our tourist information's business hours for year-end and new-year will be changed.
◆ Canal Plaza International Information Center & Souvenir shop
◆ Tourist information in Otaru Sta.
◆ Asakusa Bridge tourist information

●Business Hour●

Dec.31         9am ~ 3pm

Jan.1           Close

Jan.2 ~ 4     10am ~ 5pm

Jan.5~         9am ~ 6pm

I wish you a peaceful new year :)

The First Sunrise at Mt.Tengu

Would you like to see the early-morning sunlight on the new year's day from the top of the Mt.Tengu to pray for a good year?
Otaru Mt.Tengu ski resort runs rope way for first sunrise on January 1.
Of course you can see the first sunrise and besides, you can do the New Year's visit to a "Otaru Mt.Tengu Shrine".
Generally, Japanese people visit shrines to pray for happiness and good health in the coming year.
Why don't you experience Japanese style new year's days?
In addition, at "Sightly Restaurant Tengu", hot rice-cake soup will be provided to first 100 visitors from 7am.
Hot rice-cake soup is traditional food in New year's days in Japan as well.
And this is great information for those who love skiing and snowboarding.
Mt. Tengu ski resort is also opened from 7am, and skiers and snowboarders can take rope way from 7am to 9am for 1,000 yen as unlimited ride.
This is one of beautiful ways to spend New Year's days in Otaru.

Night view from the mountaintop of Tengu ↓

 

 

Otaru Mt.Tengu First Sunrise Operation

●Date: January 1, 6:30am ~

●Place: Top of Mt.Tengu

●Access: Take a bus from Chuo-bus Otaru station terminal Gate 3. Required about 20 minutes. Bus fare 210yen for one way.

●Enquiry: +81 134 33 7381

●Website: http://www.cks.chuo-bus.co.jp/tenguyama/en/winter/

 

 



New Year Event for 2013

Hi, Otaru got much snow these day! (Too much?? :|)
Did you enjoy your Christmas day?
Our long event "Otaru Long Xmas" has finished yesterday, and now we are cleaning up after it.
So today, I'll let you know about some events for year-end and new-year.

【Countdown Events】
★Otaru Soko No.1 countdown 2013 (Otaru Craft Beer Brewery)
 Schedule: December 31, 8pm ~ January 1, 5am
 Access: 15 minutes walk from JR Otaru station.
This is an annual event at Otaru craft beer brewery. You can enjoy Otaru's craft beer and foods with live music.


★Grand Park Otaru 2012 Contdown Party
 Schedule: December 31, 9:30pm ~ January 1, 1am
 Access: Grand Park Otaru Hotel is located next to Otaru Chikko station.
Live musical performance, lottery and Japanese Calligraphy can be enjoyed with the theme of "Let's give thanks to 2012!". Besides, fireworks display will be held.



★The 12th Tanaka Sake Brewery Yukusake Kurusake festival
 Schedule: December 31, 11pm
 Access: 10 minutes walk from Minami Otaru station.
 Lucky sake "Hatsumi" is going to be brewed all night with the sound of the bells on New Year's Eve. Year-crossing herring soba (Japanese noodle) and sweet beans soup with rice cake are provided  and you can join the lottery when you buy "Hatsumi".

Falling star at Otaru canal?? ~Otaru Long Xmas~

I've introduced about a Christmas event in Otaru, "Otaru Long Xmas 2012 final" before, and today, I'm going to let you know the other main feature project.
The name of the project is...
"Christmas Story Winter Falling Star (冬の流星) "
You might have thought "Eh? Can we see falling stars at the sky around Otaru canal?" but No, we will be able to see them on the surface of Otaru canal.
Please look at this picture↓
 

Amazing, isn't it??
Actually this is a composite picture :-P This is an image for new project.
For three days in Christmas days,  float LED light bulbs (named Praying star 祈り星) on the Otaru Canal, make romantic star-filled night sky.
 

 ←Image of "Praying star 祈り星"
 ●What is "Praying star" ?
"Praying star" is the LED light bulb of 8.5 cm diameters with people's wishes and look like stars in the night sky. It starts lighting-up by taking on water, and has rechargeable battery and solar panel. Good for environment.
 
 
● "How can we float Praying star"?
First of all you need to get a ticket for it.
From today, we're selling tickets for floating Praying stars. Details ↓
◆Praying Star Ticket
1,000yen.
Can be purchased at Canal Plaza.
It includes the right for floating and glass ball cell-phone charm (gleam out in a dark place). Floating time is twice for each day, 5:15pm or 6pm. Please choose the time you like. On the day you float, you can change your ticket to floating praying star (LED light bulb) and cell-phone charm at Asakusa bridge. Then, please enjoy floating on the time you chose. ※You can't bring the LED light bulb to your home. Please make sure to float the LED light bulb certainly.
◆Venue for floating
  Around Asakusa bridge (15 minutes walk from JR Otaru station)
◆Schedule
  ・December 22 (Sat)... 5:15pm or 6 pm
  ・December 23 (Sun)... 5:15pm or 6pm
  ・December 24 (Mon)... 5:15pm or 6pm
◆Ticket sales at Canal Plaza
  Address ...  1-20, Ironai 2 chome, Otaru city, Hokkaido, Japan
  Tel ... +81 134 33 1661 (English, Chinese, Korean OK)
  Access ... 10 minutes walk from JR Otaru station towards the sea.

It's limited 1,000 bulbs each day, please don't miss it!!

Otaru Long Xmas 2012

An annual event started this year too.
Actually, this event will be final, entitled
"Otaru Long Xmas 2012 final".

 

For this event Otaru tourism association is preparing wonderful plans.
Today, I'll let you know about them.

 

Floating Glass Ball Tree

 

 This tree is made from about 300 glass balls. But these glass balls are special for us because every year in February, these glass balls are floated on the water surface of Otaru canal with candles inside them. During the Christmas days, we use them as parts of Christmas tree.






Venue : Canal Plaza
Access : 10 minutes walk from JR Otaru station
Period : Nov.11 ~ Dec.25
Lighting : 4pm ~ 0am


 
 
 

Message Tree

 

By mini-tree with visitors' message, we are going to complete the Christmas tree of four meters tall. We sell this mini-tree for 500 yen each.

Venue① : Canal Plaza

Access : 10 minutes walk from JR Otaru station

Period : Nov.11 ~ Dec.25

Business hours : 9am ~ 7pm (On Friday, Saturday and Sunday during this event, and Dec.19 ~ 25, opens until 8pm)

 

 

Venue② : Top of Mt, Tengu

Access : Take a bus from Chuo-bus Otaru station terminal. Gate # 3. Bus # 9. Required time is about 20 minutes, then change to the ropeway, takes about 5 minutes to the mountaintop.

Period : Nov.17 ~

Business hours : 9am ~ 9pm

 

Glass Arts Exhibition

 

11 Glass studios in Otaru exhibit beautiful works. You can enjoy them soon after you arrive at Otaru and through the ticket gate.

 

Venue : JR Otaru station yard

Period : Nov.11 ~ Dec.25

 

To get more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/otarulongxmas2012?ref=hl#!/otarulongxmas2012



Free Wi-Fi @ Canal Plaza

Hello, how are you?
I have a good information for visitors to Otaru.
I've been asked by tourists like "Is there any free Wi-Fi spots?" but answer was "No..." until recently.
However, actually our tourist information center (International information center) has introduced free Wi-Fi and became quite convenient!!

How to connect FREESPOT

 

 

①Choose【Wifi：ON】→【FREESPOT】on setting page

②Open a browser page, and go to the authenticating page.

    Choose one of the followings.

　

（１）2 hours by e-mail authentication

（２）6 months by e-mail authentication and acceptance of ads e-mail.

           ※Recommend to use Mobile e-mail address. E-mail address which can’t to be used without browser is not available.
           ※Password will be sent to your registered e-mail address.

（３）10 minutes without registration of e-mail address.

           ※After time-out, it can be used 3 hours later again.

 

③Check the Terms and Conditions, choose【Agree】or【Do not agree】
　After mark【Agree】, please click【Submit】

We're looking forward to seeing you at Canal Plaza!! :)

Monthly Event Information ~ '12 Nov ~

Hi, I've got the list of events for November.
It'll start to snow in November and attractive events will be held in romantic atmosphere in Otaru.
I'm going to introduce these events roughly today and I will post as new information and details become available.

【Otaru Long Christmas 2012】
Schedule... Nov 11 (Sun) to Dec 25 (Tue)
Place... Canal Plaza, Top of Mt, Tengu
Access... ◆To Canal Plaza ---10 minutes walk from JR Otaru station. ◆To Mt,Tengu--- Take a bus from Chuo-bus Otaru station terminal. Gate# 3, Bus# 9. About 20 minutes later, get off at the last stop and change to ropeway. It takes about 5 minutes to the mountaintop.
★This annual event begun in 2005 and will be held from November 11 this year too.
It features the 4-meter-high white message tree at Canal Plaza, the 5-meter-high Glass ball tree in front of Canal Plaza. Also another message tree will be placed at the top of Mt, Tengu, would you like to leave your wish on message card with Christmas tree?Besides that, for 3 days (Dec 22 ~ 25), about 5,000 gleaming balls (ball of LED light)will be floated down Otaru canal at night as an experiment. It's named "Christmas Story Winter Falling Star". On November 8, we're going to float about 100 of them on a trial basis.

 ← Glass Ball Tree at Canal Plaza

 White Message Tree in Canal Plaza →

【The 5th Otaru Shako(Mantis prawn) Festival】
Schedule... Nov 24 (Sat) and 25 (Sun) 10am ~ 3pm
Place... Otaru Port Pier No.3
Access... Abour 15 minutes walk from JR Otaru station.
★Otaru is famous for "Shako(Mantis prawn)". In this event, various kinds of fresh autumnal"Shako" menus, such as "boiled Shako", "Grilled Shako", and "Shako nabe"(hot pot dish) can be enjoyed. Besides that, we can enjoy scallop, octopus and abalone that were caught in Otaru and can be enjoyed only in this season!!

【Bay Forest Xmas】
Schedule... Nov 10 (Sat) to Dec 25 (Tue) 4:30 ~ 9pm
Place... Wing Bay Otaru Shopping mall
Access... The closest station is "Otaru Chikko station" (second station from Otaru to Sapporo). This shopping mall is located next to the station. Or, many buses are operated from a bus terminal in front of JR Otaru station.

★During the term from 4:30 to 9pm, colorful illuminations are lit up. About 60,000 electrical bulbs britghten up Christmas days of Wing bay Otaru shopping mall.

【Tanaka Sake Brewery "Hokkaido Grain Festival"】

Schedule... Nov 22 (Thu) to 25 (Sun)
Place... Tanaka Sake Brewery Kikko Gura branch
Access... Take a stroller's bus "A" from Chuo-bus Otaru station terminal. Gate #4, get off at "Tanaka shuzou kikko gura mae"(田中酒造亀甲蔵前). Required about 20 minutes.

★This is thanksgiving for harvesting in which many kinds of grains produced in Hokkaido, will be displayed and introduced. Makgoli (Korean sake), wheat vinegar and rice distilled spirit made from them are sold. In addition, on 24th and 25th, they are going to do "Mochi (rice cake) pounding" using Hokkaido's rice.

【Snow Cruise Onze Ski Resort Opens】

Schedule... Nov 11 (Sun) 11:11am!!

Access... Free shuttle bus is operated from "Zenibako station" and some stations from Sapporo.

schedule from Zenibako station is 9:37, 11:37, 14:37, 16:37, 18:37. Required about 8 minutes.

★This is the first ski resort to be opened in Hokkaido. Firework display will  be held at 6pm.

Some roads will be closed for winter season. If you're going to rent a car and enjoy driving in Hokkaido, please be aware of closure and the roads condition.