Sakai-machi Street

Sakaimachi-dori is Otaru's most charming stroll — a gentle slope lined with beautifully preserved Meiji and Taisho-era buildings now housing music boxes, glasswork studios, and sweet shops. The tinkling of music boxes drifts from doorways as light catches hand-blown glass in jewel-like colors. Once the commercial spine of a thriving port, today it's a living museum of Otaru's prosperous past, infused with artisan creativity.