There are a lot of old buildings including stone warehouses in Otaru, Hokkaido. Most of those buildings were built between 1890s and 1920s when Otaru was most thriving as an international port city, and with the wealth brought by herring fishery.
Many of these old buildings are designated as Otaru Historical Buildings by the municipal government, and the unique townscape that is created by the old buildings looks attractive for the visitors.
However, there are many more old buildings that are not recognized as historical buildings but quite interesting to see.
The building in the photo can be one of the examples.
This building is a private residence near JR Minami Otaru station. In the old areas of Otaru, such as Aioi, Wakamatsu, Sumiyoshi, Suminoe, Nobuka, Irifune 1-chome, you can find many interesting old buildings and stone warehouses like this building.
It is fun to stroll around the town at random and find something interesting by chance as well as old buildings. Otarus real charm can possibly be found in this way.
