OTARU, Hokkaido--After sunset, the city’s renowned Otaru Canal takes on a magical ambience, courtesy of 10,000 blue LED lights. The Blue Canal illumination event runs until Jan. 31 along a ...

T he small harbor city of Otaru is just 30 minutes by train from Sapporo on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Tranquil and blanketed in pristine white snow, the Japanese city of Otaru serves as ... west coast of the island of Hokkaido has become the latest flashpoint in Japan’s ongoing battle against ...

Rugged, beautiful, untamed and steeped in a unique culture, the island of Hokkaido in north Japan has emerged as an ... coastal route that runs from Otaru in the west all the way to its most ...