Local Guide
Six Experience spots in Otaru area where you can enjoy the charm of manufacturing.

Glass crafts and music boxes are a perfect fit for the nostalgic atmosphere of the port town of Otaru. There are many spots in the city where you can Experience making them yourself. If you go a little further, you will find Property that brew beer, wine, and whiskey in a climate similar to that of Europe, where you can enjoy tours and tastings. We will introduce you to spots in the Otaru area where you can Experience the charm of craftsmanship.

Try your hand Experience glass blowing while you shop

"Glassblowing Experience" lets you feel like a craftsman, 3,850 yen. The work is cooled overnight, so it will be delivered the day after tomorrow or later.
"Glassblowing Experience" lets you feel like a craftsman, 3,850 yen. The work is cooled overnight, so it will be delivered the day after tomorrow or later.

Taisho Glass Shop has 13 stores in Otaru City. Each store has a different concept, such as a specialty store for sake ware and hairpins, or a gallery shop for works by artists.
At the Creative Glass Workshop next to the main store, you can Experience full-scale glassblowing while you're out shopping. Choose the item you want to make, such as a glass or vase, and your favorite pattern and color, then blow into molten glass to create your creation. Experienced Staff/staff member will provide full support, so even first-time glassblower can try their hand at it with peace of mind.

Choose your own glass flower and make your own original accessories

There are various glass craft Experience available at the Glass Bead Museum, starting at 600 yen.
There are various glass craft Experience available at the Glass Bead Museum, starting at 600 yen.

For those who don't have much time or want to enjoy it with their children, we recommend the glasswork Experience program offered at the Glass Bead Museum, located two doors down from the main store. Glass beads are made by melting glass with a burner and can be made in about 15 minutes. You can enjoy shopping while they cool. The program where you make accessories by gluing together millefiori glass pieces, which means "thousand flowers" in Italian, uses an electric kiln without using fire, so it is safe for small children. Staff/staff member will finish the work and deliver it to your home at a later date.

Comments Local Guide
The Taisho Glass Shop is a renovated historic building built in 1906 (Meiji 39). Along with the beautiful glass products, please take the time to look at the historic exterior.
Taisho Glass Museum
  • URLhttps://www.otaruglass.com
  • 住所1-1-8 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido (Main store) MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 12 minutes walk from JR Otaru Station
  • 営業時間9:00〜19:00
  • 定休日None
  • 入場料Glassblowing Experience (20 minutes): 3,850 yen
    Glasswork Experience: from 600 yen
  • TEL0134-32-5101
  • 駐車場None
  • 年齢制限Glassblowing Experience: Ages 10 and up
    Other glasswork Experience: Ages 3 and up
  • メモCreative Glass Studio: 1-1-7 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido
    Glass Bead Museum: 1-1-6 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido
    *Glassblowing Experience are accepted at the main store. Other Experience are accepted at the Glass Bead Museum.

Tour of German craft beer brewing site

Beer undergoing primary fermentation in a tank. After this, it is aged at low temperature for eight weeks, the authentic German way.
Beer undergoing primary fermentation in a tank. After this, it is aged at low temperature for eight weeks, the authentic German way.

"Otaru Beer" is a craft beer made with traditional ingredients and methods based on the "Beer Purity Law" that was promulgated in Germany in 1516. There are two breweries in Otaru city, and the Zenibako Brewery offers paid tours by reservation only.
The ingredients of Otaru Beer are organic malt and aroma hops from Germany, homemade yeast, and soft water from Hokkaido. On the tour, you can learn more about the beer-making process while sampling the malt and wort before it becomes beer, as well as young beer, which is made by adding yeast to the wort and fermenting it.

Enjoy the charm of Otaru beer with specially selected snacks

The factory tour includes tastings of three types of beer and a snack plate for 1,650 yen.
The factory tour includes tastings of three types of beer and a snack plate for 1,650 yen.

After the tour, it's time to sample Otaru Beer. Surprisingly, you can sample up to 20 beers within the time limit, in keeping with the German beer festival "Oktoberfest," where "20 beers per person is the norm." The fact that different shapes and sizes of mugs are prepared for each type of beer shows the desire to "let people experience the deliciousness of beer savored in the German style."
The "appetizer plate" of sausages, sauerkraut, and pretzels (German bread) goes perfectly with Otaru beer. If you're a beer lover, this is a highly satisfying tour you won't want to miss.

Comments Local Guide
For those who can't drink alcohol, homemade apple cider and non-alcoholic beer are also available.
Otaru Beer Zenibako Brewery
  • URLhttps://otarubeer.com/jp/?page_id=353
  • 住所263-19 Zenibako 3-chome, Otaru, Hokkaido MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 5 minutes by car from JR Zenibako Station
  • 営業時間Tour start times: 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 (90 minutes each)
  • 定休日December 29th - January 5th
  • 入場料1,650 yen, elementary school students 825 yen, preschoolers free (no appetizer plate)
  • TEL0134-61-2280
  • 駐車場free
  • メモPlease make a reservation by phone at least one week in advance (Monday to Friday 10:00-17:00). There are some days and times when tours are not available due to brewery events.

Enjoy a casual tour of the oldest winery in Yoichi

The brewing building is lined with fermentation tanks and cooling equipment. If you come at the right time, you can see the process.
The brewing building is lined with fermentation tanks and cooling equipment. If you come at the right time, you can see the process.

Yoichi Town is located about 30 minutes by car from Otaru City. It is the largest producer of wine grapes in the whole of Hokkaido, and in recent years the number of wineries has been rapidly increasing. Yoichi Winery was established in 1974 (Showa 49) and is the oldest winery in the town. There is a tour course set up in the factory, which you can tour freely.
In the winery building, you can see through glass the "fermentation room" where the harvested grapes are first transported, the "storage room" where white wine is stored in tanks, and the "barrel storage room" where red wine is aged in wooden barrels. There are also explanatory panels on grapes and winemaking.

There are also plenty of cafes and Restaurant where you can experience the terroir of Yoichi

"Margherita" pizza made in a stone oven using Hokkaido wheat and cheese, 1,600 yen
"Margherita" pizza made in a stone oven using Hokkaido wheat and cheese, 1,600 yen

The grounds include Restaurant, cafe, wine shop, gallery and atelier. The Cafe & Bakery offers a wine tasting set of three types of red and three types of white wine for 1,100 yen. The Niagara soft serve ice cream made with Yoichi wine and apple pie made with apples from Yoichi Town are also popular. Restaurant offers a wide range of dishes that go well with wine, such as Hokkaido beef hamburger steak and stone oven-baked pizza made with a dough blend of Hokkaido wheat. You can fully enjoy the natural blessings of Yoichi while looking out at the idyllic rural scenery.

Comments Local Guide
Wine shops occasionally stock wines that are exclusive to wineries. These often sell out quickly, so if you come across them, be sure to grab them!
Yoichi Winery
  • URLhttps://yoichiwine.jp/
  • 住所1318 Kurokawacho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 5 minutes by car from JR Yoichi Station
  • 営業時間Wine shop 10:00-16:45
    Cafe & Bakery 10:00-16:00
    Wine factory tour 10:00-16:30
    Gallery & Atelier 10:00-16:30 (closed November to March)
    Yoichi Winery Restaurant 11:30-14:30 (last order)
  • 定休日May to December Tuesdays
    January to end of April Tuesdays and Wednesdays
    *Subject to change at irregular intervals
  • 入場料Wine factory tour: Free
    Gallery & Atelier Free
  • TEL0135-23-2184
  • 駐車場free

"Make your own music box" by freely choosing the songs, cases, and parts

You can make your own music box by selecting the base music box, box, and parts for as little as 1,100 yen.
You can make your own music box by selecting the base music box, box, and parts for as little as 1,100 yen.

The owner of this shop established the world's first music box specialty store in the 1980s with the desire to "have the sounds of music boxes resonate in the nostalgic town of Otaru." Based on a system where you can purchase a combination of your favorite song and case, there is also an Experience menu where you can create your own original music box using optional parts and paints.
There are various types, such as wind-up and hand-cranked, with over 400 songs ranging from standards to the latest hits. You can freely combine the wide variety of cases and parts, and even draw pictures to create a one-of-a-kind music box.

Our unique patented technology allows you to order songs that are not available off-the-shelf

The price for a custom music box starts at 19,840 yen, including the arrangement fee. The box for the music box and optional decorations are charged separately.
The price for a custom music box starts at 19,840 yen, including the arrangement fee. The box for the music box and optional decorations are charged separately.

Music Box Hall®️ Kaimeiro has developed a patented cylinder music box production machine that can produce custom music boxes, starting from one unit. This technology allows us to make custom music boxes with memorable songs, original compositions, school songs, and other songs that are not available in pre-made products. Including songs created from customer requests, there are over 600 variations. There are few music box specialty stores in the country that have such a wide selection of songs.
It takes two to four months to complete a custom music box. One of the joys of ordering a music box is carefully discussing it with the store Staff/staff member, then waiting for your memento of Otaru to arrive.

Comments Local Guide
It takes about 20 minutes to make a music box, but choosing the songs and parts can take a surprisingly long time. If you decide on the songs from the song list in advance, the work will go more smoothly.
Music Box Hall®️ Kaimeiro Main Store
  • URLhttp://www.kaimeiro.com/
  • 住所1-20 Sakaimachi, Otaru, Hokkaido MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 14 minutes walk from JR Otaru Station
  • 営業時間9:00-21:00 (up to 18:00 depending on the season)
    Music box handmade workshop 9:00-19:00 (until 18:00 in winter)
  • 定休日None
  • 入場料Music boxes start at 990 yen, wooden parts start at 11 yen (approximately 1,500 to 2,000 yen)
  • TEL0134-23-6505
  • 駐車場None

The starting point of the dream of Masataka Taketsuru, the "father of Japanese whiskey"

The whiskey distillery pot still, which was built with coal two years after the company was founded, is still in use today.
The whiskey distillery pot still, which was built with coal two years after the company was founded, is still in use today.

Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery was established in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, founder of Nikka Whisky. The 10 buildings on the premises are currently designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Yoichi Town, with a climate similar to that of Scotland, the home of whiskey, was an ideal place for Taketsuru. At the Yoichi Distillery, they continue to make whiskey using the "direct coal fire distillation" method that Taketsuru was so particular about. On the "Distillery Guided Tour" (reservations required), you can learn about the whiskey manufacturing process and the history of Nikka Whisky while touring the distillery Property with a guide.

Nikka Museum: Experience the profound charm of whiskey

The passion for whiskey making inherited from Mr. Taketsuru, known as the "father of Japanese whiskey," is evident everywhere.
The passion for whiskey making inherited from Mr. Taketsuru, known as the "father of Japanese whiskey," is evident everywhere.

At the Nikka Museum on the premises, you can experience the profound charm of whiskey through the work of the blenders who mix the raw liquor and the worldview of the Nikka Whisky brand. There are also many exhibits related to Taketsuru and his wife Rita, who rose to fame through the TV drama "Massan," which is well worth a visit.
Inside the museum, there is a tasting corner where you can try a variety of whiskeys, including some exclusive to the distillery, for a fee. The pot still in the center of the space lets you experience the process of whiskey distillation, long storage, and then pouring it into your glass.

Comments Local Guide
The scenery of red roofs and soft stone buildings is full of exotic atmosphere, and you will forget that you are in Japan. There are also plenty of photogenic spots.
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery
  • URLhttps://www.nikka.com/distilleries/yoichi/
  • 住所7-6 Kurokawacho, Yoichi-cho, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido MAP
  • アクセスAbout 4 minutes walk from JR Yoichi Station
  • 営業時間Distillery guided tour (reservation required, approx. 60 minutes) 9:00-16:30 (last admission 15:00)
    Nikka Museum 9:15-16:15 (Last order for paid tasting 16:00)
    Shop 9:15-16:15 (last entrance 15:30)
  • 定休日December 25th - January 7th
  • 入場料Free guided tour of the distillery
  • TEL0135-23-3131
  • 駐車場free
  • メモGuided tours of the distillery must be booked in advance via the website.

A multi-purpose winery offering a tour that lets you experience the charm of wine

You can see areas that are normally off-limits, such as the barrel storehouse, and after the tour you can sample three types of wine.
You can see areas that are normally off-limits, such as the barrel storehouse, and after the tour you can sample three types of wine.

Niki Town, about a 40-minute drive from Otaru city, is a town thriving in fruit cultivation. In recent years, the town has been promoting "wine tourism," which combines wine and sightseeing. At the heart of this is NIKI Hills Winery, a multi-purpose winery that opened in 2019. Its 33-hectare site includes vineyards, Restaurant, a restaurant, and accommodations.
The "Private Winery Tour" is available for one group at a time, allowing you to take a close look at the wine-making process and facilities. Other highlights include the spectacular view from the terrace overlooking the winery and vineyards, and the vast garden, which is decorated with over 400 varieties of plants from spring to autumn.

A variety of tours are available to experience the seasonal nature of Niki Town.

"Snowshoe trekking tour" where you can experience the nature unique to snowy Niki Town
"Snowshoe trekking tour" where you can experience the nature unique to snowy Niki Town

There are also many other day-trip Experience tours available. There are plenty of outdoor programs, such as the "Nature Trekking Tour" where you can enjoy nature observation and forest bathing, and the "Snowshoe Trekking Tour" where you can stroll through snow-covered vineyards. We also recommend the "Electric Assist Mountain Bike Tour" which takes you around the wineries and town.
The guide for these tours is Keizo Funatsu, general manager of "NIKI Hills Winery" and the first person in the world to cross Antarctica by dog sled. Why not experience the great outdoors of Niki Town with the guidance of this world-famous adventurer?

Comments Local Guide
At Property 's reservation-only Restaurant "Aperçu," you can enjoy original French cuisine and wine. The spectacular panorama of the vineyards covering the hill and Yoichi Bay beyond the windows is also a highlight.
NIKI Hills Winery
  • URLhttps://nikihills.co.jp/
  • 住所148-1 Asahidai, Niki-cho, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 7 minutes by car from JR Niki Station
  • 営業時間10:00～16:00
  • 定休日Irregular holidays
  • 入場料Private winery tour (60 minutes): 3,300 yen * Includes 3 tastings. Free for elementary school students and younger, drink fee not included
    Nature trekking tour (90 minutes): 5,500 yen *Free for elementary school students and younger
    Snowshoe trekking tour (120 minutes): 16,500 yen
    Electric-assisted mountain bike tour: Winery area (90 mins) 7,700 yen, town tour (120 mins) 11,000 yen
  • TEL0135-32-3801
  • 駐車場free
  • 年齢制限Nature trekking tours and snowshoe trekking tours: Excluding infants
    *Program content will be adjusted according to the guest's circumstances and wishes.)
    Electrically assisted mountain bike tour: Height 150cm or above
  • メモ*Reservations are required for all tours. Winery tours can be booked on the day.
*The contents listed are current as of the date of article update. They may be subject to change, so please check before using.