Otaru Canal District
F2. Maritime Culture, Heritage, Archaeology, Art and MuseumsDefinition
Japanese port heritage area in Hokkaido.
A preserved canal and warehouse area in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, completed 1923 to serve the port’s herring and coastal-trade boom. The stone and brick warehouses lined a canal built by reclaiming the harbor, letting lighters unload directly to store. After the port declined, a 1980s preservation campaign saved part of the canal from being filled for a road. It is now a heritage tourist district with gas lamps and converted warehouses.
Source: Otaru Canal, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan; completed 1923; 1980s preservation of the warehouse district.