Hokkaido in One Day: Otaru Canal & Sankaku Market (Lunch) — Guide Kazu

April, 2026

This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Tour Itinerary

  • 9:00 Meet at Otaru Port
  • 9:10 Otaru Canal
  • 9:30 Ukiyo-e Art Museum
  • 10:30 Nitori Art Museum
  • 12:00 Sankaku Market (Lunch)
  • 13:15 Sakaimachi Street – Shopping and Coffee Break
  • 14:30 Former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch
  • 15:00 Tour Ends

Tour Itinerary in Detail

Meeting at Otaru Port at 9:00, the group explored Hokkaido until the tour ended at 15:00. The day ran to 6 hours from start to finish.

The itinerary covered Otaru Canal at 9:10, Ukiyo-e Art Museum at 9:30, Nitori Art Museum at 10:30, Sankaku Market (Lunch) at 12:00, Sakaimachi Street – Shopping and Coffee Break at 13:15 and Former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch at 14:30.

What Is a Private Otaru Cruise-Port Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests visited Japan by cruise ship, arriving from North America. It was their first time in Japan. The Otaru Art Base offers a combined ticket (3,500 yen) that grants entry to all five facilities. However, after discussing it together, the guests chose the three they most wanted to see, and we paid the individual admission for each. Together the three came to 3,100 yen. The first one we entered, the ukiyo-e museum, seemed to be greatly enjoyed. One of the guests wanted to buy a T-shirt featuring Kiyoshi Yamashita's fireworks artwork at the Nitori Museum, but unfortunately there was no size that fit, which was a shame. We had made a reservation in advance at the Sankaku Market and finished lunch there, then took a coffee break on Sakaimachi Street and did some shopping. The guests purchased a music box for a family member. Finally, we visited the former Mitsui Bank Otaru Branch. The guests had previously worked in banking, and they showed interest in Japanese banking operations. The photo was taken along the Otaru Canal.

Click here for more details: Otaru Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by KAZU

I was born and grew up in Kyoto and now live near Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. I used to be a schoolteacher of English and welcome a lot of students from foreign countries. I really enjoyed showing them around Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Hiroshima. I have been a professional tour guide for about 8 years. I always try to let my guests learn Japanese traditional and modern culture. Since I was born in Kyoto, I know a lot about its culture and people. I myself enjoyed several sports, such as soccer, judo, and marathon when I was young. I’m much interested in baseball and sumo. My motto as a tour guide is to let my guests learn about our tradition and culture precisely and really enjoy themselves. I strongly hope you will enjoy the tour in Japan with me.

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