Otaru, a tourist destination in Hokkaido! It's always so popular, but winter is the best time to visit! In the summer, it's just a regular port town and the atmosphere doesn't quite fit. Still, there are always crowds of tourists walking around. One of the famous spots here is Kitaichi Glass. There aren't many other places to go in Otaru on foot, so you end up here. The haskap drink I had for a break was delicious! It's something unique to Hokkaido. Feeling a bit refreshed, it's time to head out! Thank you for the meal!

The atmosphere is nice. The menu is limited. The chiffon cake is average.

On this day in February 2018, I embarked on my second trip to Otaru. The last time I visited was long before I started using Tabelog, and it was just a quick stop during a ski trip with friends. This time, my main destination was Sapporo, but I decided to make the most of my time by taking a half-day trip to Otaru from New Chitose Airport. After having a meal near Otaru Station, I walked to the Otaru Canal, which was crowded with Chinese tourists. Then, I strolled to Sakaimachi Street, a must-visit spot for tourists in Otaru. I made a mistake and ended up entering the "Kitaichi Glass Sangokan No.9" instead of the planned "Kitaichi Hall." Despite realizing my mistake, I decided to stay and ordered a hot Caramel Cinnamon Coffee, the second bestseller at the cafe. The coffee was a type I hadn't tried before, but it helped warm me up in the cold Otaru weather. After enjoying my coffee, I continued my sightseeing adventure.

After paying respects at Ryotokuji Temple in Otaru and enjoying hand-cut soba noodles at Isamiya Honten, I planned to walk to Otaru Station. However, I spotted a sign for Suiten-gu Shrine that I saw on a TV show and thought, "Oh, I want to go there!" I climbed up the stairs on the mountain side and enjoyed the panoramic view of Otaru's mountain side. Despite it being Mountain Day, there was only one other visitor at Suiten-gu Shrine, as well as someone pruning trees in the heat. I wondered if this level of climb couldn't be considered a mountain in Otaru after all. On my way back, I descended the steep stairs on the sea side. It was my first time descending such steep stairs, and they were quite worn out. It was quite scary going down. Once I reached the flat ground near the Music Box Museum, I felt relieved and sweat poured out. Now, what should I do next? There were still many tourists around this area. For now, I decided to walk towards the city center. Oh, I know! I should have a jumbo cream puff at Kitaichi Glass's Kitaichi Hall! Wait, was it always this expensive? It comes with a drink for 1,120 yen. I hesitated and thought about it, then noticed that Kitaichi Glass's Kyubanso had a happy hour with glass wine for 500 yen. Maybe I'll have a refreshing white wine to cool down. Kyubanso allows you to choose your seat before ordering. There were 2 groups of customers ahead of me and 3 groups behind me. The staff managed everything alone, impressive! I ordered a set of Otaru craft beers (with nuts) for 1,000 yen. To refresh my mouth, I prefer beer over white wine. I alternated between Otaru craft beers "Herbst" and "Meltzen" to compare them. As someone who can't tell the difference, I'll skip the explanation of the differences. The nuts included rice crackers and salted kelp, with a generous amount. It might be just right to share with two people. I enjoyed my beer time with a book while others mostly ordered soft drinks or desserts. The atmosphere was relatively quiet, with mostly groups of 2-3 people. After a relaxing time, I walked to Otaru Station. Even though I love JR, on hot and tired days, I prefer taking the express bus to Sapporo. You can always get a seat, and the air conditioning is on point.

This is a café bar located inside Kitai Glass Building 3. After looking at glass products around, I stopped by to rest my tired feet. Unlike Kitai Hall, they serve alcohol even in the morning, and they also offer light snacks like sausages. I enjoyed a café au lait with extra milk with my friend, in a relaxed atmosphere with dim lighting. They also have cake sets, but I had to give up as I had already eaten too much Baumkuchen (laughs). We were mesmerized by the stained glass on the ceiling and enjoyed our drinks while admiring the view.

I go to Otaru every year, but I usually just pass by the Hokkaido Glass shop. However, on this particular day, it was especially hot and I wanted to cool off while quenching my thirst. I decided to sit down and order the Catalana and coffee set, but then I noticed a set with white wine... for only 900 yen. The Catalana arrived quickly, and it looked black around the edges... smoked? No, it was actually a proper Catalana. It was like a chunk of custard that melted in my mouth, not like the typical ice cream type. It was a generous portion and refreshing because it was cold, and it was delicious. However, it didn't come with caramel sauce like usual. Maybe the black part was meant to replace the caramel. As for the wine, I love sweet wines, but I thought this combination might be too sweet. Sweet wine with a sweet dessert made my mouth overly sweet. The wine itself was delicious when enjoyed on its own. You can quickly eat and leave satisfied, or relax and enjoy with a cup of coffee. The calm atmosphere of the shop is a nice contrast to the bustling Hokkaido Glass shop.

When running along the canal, you can see a flashy soft serve ice cream sign. There is where we went. Last time, someone wanted to eat the 6-color soft serve ice cream, but I didn't stop, so this time I decided to stop. The soft serve ice cream flavors were melon, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla, lavender, and matcha. They were all delicious, except for the lavender. It felt like putting air freshener in my mouth, and the good smell of food and the other good smell were completely different things.

After filling up at "Mikawa-ya," you can walk around Otaru with a camera in hand. When you reach Sakaimachi, take a break and look at the guidebook to find that the stained glass on the ceiling of this place is similar to the one in the Kitaichi Glass Hall. Located inside the Kitaichi Glass Sanso Building, while the Kitaichi Hall is crowded with customers, this place is not as busy. Upon entering the store, you will be fascinated by the stained glass that covers the entire ceiling. I ordered coffee and vanilla ice cream. The vanilla tasted like the sherbet vanilla you would eat at a cafe, bringing back nostalgic flavors. The coffee had a strong bitterness and richness, making it delicious. The atmosphere inside the store is very quiet, making it a great place for solo travelers to relax. It is a cafe bar where you can also enjoy wine and local beer, but it closes at 6 pm. It would be nice if there were counter seats to enjoy wine in the afternoon, but unfortunately there aren't any.