OMO5 Otaru by Hoshino Resorts, a hotel located in the area known as the "Wall Street of the North" and home to many historical buildings, will be holding the "Otaru Canal Kotatsu Cruise" again this year, on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays only from December 6, 2025 to March 29, 2026. Guests can sit wrapped in a kotatsu on board a boat and enjoy the view of the retro townscape
Guests can enjoy an elegant cruise on a chartered cruise ship equipped with a kotatsu table.
This year, specially developed sweets by Otaru Pastry Shop LeTAO will be available. Along with the sweets, you can also enjoy the retro townscape lit by gas lamps and the fantastic snowy scenery from the boat.
The Otaru Canal was completed in 1923. OMO5 Otaru is unique in that it allows you to enjoy this popular tourist spot, which still retains the townscape of that time, with different programs for each season.
Feature 1: A boat equipped with a kotatsu is operated exclusively for guests staying overnight.
Unlike regular canal cruises which operate with bench seats, this special boat is equipped with kotatsu tables and is bathed in the warm light of lamps, so you can stay warm during the approximately 40-minute ride and enjoy the elegant view of Otaru's snow-covered streets lined with historical buildings.
Feature 2: Otaru's snowy scenery seen from the special seats
Otaru Canal is a place filled with an exotic atmosphere, lined with heavy timber-framed stone warehouses. The scenery created by the snow-covered historical buildings and
the warm glow of gas lamps is a mystical beauty that can only be experienced in winter.
Furthermore, until January, you can view the Blue Canal lit up in blue light from a special seat on board the boat. The view of the blue sky and the blue illuminations interweaving during the blue hour after sunset is particularly romantic.
[New] LeTAO's special sweets, featuring the snowy scenery of Otaru seen from a boat, are now available
On board, you can enjoy special sweets, an adaptation of LeTAO Pathos' popular product "Mini Venezia Rendez-Vous (Chocolate)," developed by Otaru Western confectionery shop LeTAO for this cruise. The desserts represent the Otaru cityscape as seen from the boat, with cream and powdered sugar representing the snow-covered city and gold leaf representing the gas lamps lit up at night on the Otaru Canal. Guests
can also enjoy LeTAO's original blended tea, "Otaru no Kaori," inspired by Otaru's retro cityscape, as they savor the sweets while gazing out at the city of Otaru, creating an elegant experience.
Overview of "Otaru Canal Kotatsu Cruising"
Period: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from December 6th (Sat), 2025 to March 29th (Sun), 2026
Price: 4,900 yen per person (tax included)
Includes: Otaru Canal cruise, LeTAO original sweets, and blended tea
Time: 17:40-18:40
*Transportation from OMO5 Otaru to the Otaru Canal and preparation for boarding takes 20 minutes, and operation time is 40 minutes
Capacity: 16 people
Reservations: By 15:00 on
the official website Eligibility: Hotel guests only
Notes: The menu may change depending on the availability of ingredients. The tour may be canceled in the event of bad weather.
Information
OMO5 Otaru by Hoshino Resorts
Machinaka Hotel is located in an area known as the "Wall Street of the North," lined with many historical buildings. Based on the concept of "Sora, the port town of awakening," the hotel offers a stay that allows you to fully enjoy the city of Otaru by sharing the hidden history, culture, and culinary charms of the port town of Otaru. While staying in a retro building that has been renovated from a historical building designated by the city, you can rediscover a new side of Otaru
Address: 1-6-31 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0031
Phone: 050-3134-8095 (OMO Reservation Center)
Number of rooms: 92 Check-in: 15:00 / Check-out: 11:00
Price: From 16,000 yen per room per night (tax included, meals not included)
Access: Approximately 9 minutes walk from JR Otaru Station
Official website: https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/omo5otaru/
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