Kitaichi Glass

When you visit Kitaichi Glass, it helps to think of the Sangokan, Kitaichi Hall and the Craft Experience Workshop as separate places. The Sangokan is the shop where you browse and buy glassware, Kitaichi Hall is the restaurant and café inside the Sangokan, and the Craft Experience Workshop is in a different location.

Key Differences Between the Kitaichi Glass Shops

Kitaichi Glass has several facilities around Sakaimachi Street. The main one, the Sangokan, is at 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru, and has the Japanese Floor, the Country Floor and the Western Floor (Kitaichi Plaza). Kitaichi Hall is in the same Sangokan building and has the same address, 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru.

The Craft Experience Workshop is separate from the Sangokan, at 7-8 Sakaimachi, Otaru. It offers sandblasting and tombo-dama glass bead arrangement experiences.

The Crystal Building is also a separate shop, at 6-7 Sakaimachi, Otaru. According to the official guide, it is diagonally across the street from the Sakaimachi Street-side entrance of the Sangokan. It carries high-clarity glassware, tableware, accessories, ornaments and more.

Splitting your visit by purpose, such as “look at glass at the Sangokan first,” “take a break at Kitaichi Hall” and “try an experience at the separate Craft Experience Workshop,” makes it easier to plan. Because each shop’s operating status may change, check Kitaichi Glass’s shop information before you visit.

Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village)

The Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village) building is a timber-framed, stone-clad warehouse built in 1891. It was first used as a fishing warehouse, and its outer walls are made of Otaru soft stone. According to the Kitaichi Glass company profile, the Sangokan opened in 1983.

The Sangokan today has the Japanese Floor, the Country Floor and the Western Floor (Kitaichi Plaza). Each floor within the same building has different goods and a different atmosphere, so it is easier to get around if you don’t assume from the entrance alone that it is all one shop.

The Country Floor presents casual glassware as well as oil lamps and glass fishing floats. The Western Floor (Kitaichi Plaza) carries Western tableware, candle glasses, flower vases, accessories and more. There are also stained glass pieces and lamps.

For the Sangokan as a whole, the official shop information page lists both the regular hours and past temporary notices. Please check the official page before you visit.

Kitaichi Hall, Lit by 167 Oil Lamps

Kitaichi Hall is a restaurant and café inside the Sangokan. Its address is the same as the Sangokan’s, 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru.

At Kitaichi Hall, staff light 167 oil lamps at opening time. According to the official announcement of May 9, 2026, the lamp lighting takes place from 9:00 to 9:30. Kitaichi Hall is open 9:00–17:30, and orders are accepted from 9:30 to 17:00. The lamp lighting is viewed from a designated area, and entry may be restricted when it is crowded.

If you want to see the lamp lighting, plan around 9:00–9:30. If you only want to use the café, you don’t need to time your visit for it.

If you are going for a meal or drink, check the day’s information on the Kitaichi Hall official page.

Glass-Making Experiences

Kitaichi Glass Craft Experience Workshop offers sandblasting and tombo-dama glass bead arrangement experiences. The workshop is at 7-8 Sakaimachi, Otaru, a different location from the Sangokan.

Sandblasting is an experience in which sand is blown onto the surface of glass to create a pattern. You can choose a glass in the workshop, and in some cases you can also bring an item purchased at a Kitaichi Glass shop. However, some items cannot be processed.

The tombo-dama glass bead arrangement experience involves combining your choice of tombo-dama beads and parts to make a small accessory. The official page lists hair ties, pendants, straps and bracelets.

Reservations are made by 17:00 two days before your preferred date through the web reservation form, by phone or by email. For bookings made the day before or on the day itself, the official guidance is to call. Phone hours are 9:45–17:00. Because operations may change depending on booking status and the time of year, check the official page for business days and availability.

Choosing Souvenirs by Section and Type

At Kitaichi Glass, rather than looking for a single product, it is easier to choose a section based on how you will use the item and where you will put it.

For tableware, you can compare glasses, plates, chopstick rests, soy sauce dispensers, vases and more across the Sangokan’s floors and the Crystal Building. If you are looking for something to wear, accessories are available at the Crystal Building and the Western Floor (Kitaichi Plaza).

For lighting items, there are oil lamps on the Country Floor and stained glass and lamps on the Western Floor (Kitaichi Plaza). If you want to see clear tableware, accessories and ornaments all together, you could also focus on the Crystal Building.

Stock and product lineups change. If you are planning around a specific product being available, check each shop’s official information before you visit.

Getting There from Minami-Otaru Station and JR Otaru Station

If you are walking to the Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village), the official access guide says it takes about 10 minutes from JR Minami-Otaru Station and about 20 minutes from JR Otaru Station. If you are visiting only the Sangokan first, the guide gives a shorter walking time from JR Minami-Otaru Station.

On the other hand, the official guide says it takes about 10 minutes from JR Otaru Station to Otaru Canal. If you plan to walk along the canal first and then head to Sakaimachi Street, you can also build your route starting from JR Otaru Station.

Kitaichi Glass has several shops around Sakaimachi Street. If you also want to see shops nearby, not just the Sangokan, include time for walking along Sakaimachi Street.

Parking

The official Kitaichi Glass access guide lists two parking lots. One is beside the Country Floor of the Sangokan on the Sakaimachi Hondori side, and the other is beside the bus-only parking on the Rinkosen road side.

There is a coupon service that gives 2 hours of free parking when you spend a total of 2,000 yen or more at Kitaichi Glass shops. Show your parking ticket at each shop’s register when using it. The parking lot’s hours are listed as 8:45–20:00, but the official site states that they may vary by season.

If you are going by car, check the day’s operating status and parking conditions on the official access and parking page.

Places That Go Well Together

The Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village) is on Sakaimachi Street. If you plan to walk around the area, first check the layout of the whole street in the Sakaimachi Street article, which will make it easier to combine other stops besides Kitaichi Glass.

In the same Sakaimachi Street area, Otaru Music Box Museum is also covered in detail in a separate article. If you want to choose from several cafés, see Cafes and Sweets in Otaru as well.

FAQ

Are the Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village) and Kitaichi Hall in the same place?

Kitaichi Hall is inside the Kitaichi Glass Sangokan (No. 3 Village). Both have the same address, 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru.

What time are the 167 oil lamps lit?

According to the official announcement of May 9, 2026, the lighting of the 167 oil lamps takes place from 9:00 to 9:30. Entry may be restricted when it is crowded.

Can I try glass making at Kitaichi Glass?

Yes. The Craft Experience Workshop offers sandblasting and tombo-dama glass bead arrangement experiences. The workshop is at 7-8 Sakaimachi, Otaru, separate from the Sangokan.

Which is closer, JR Minami-Otaru Station or JR Otaru Station?

The official guide gives the walking time to the Sangokan as about 10 minutes from JR Minami-Otaru Station and about 20 minutes from JR Otaru Station. If you are going straight to the Sangokan, the walk is shorter from JR Minami-Otaru Station.

Is there parking at Kitaichi Glass?

The official guide lists two parking lots. A parking service based on the amount you spend is also described, so check the conditions on the official page on the day.