Otaru on a Rainy Day

On a rainy day in Otaru, it is easier to get around by linking indoor facilities in the same area. Plan your stops area by area, such as around the canal, Sakaimachi and Temiya. Checking closing days first makes it easier to rearrange your plans.

Check first: closing days and places without a roof

Which facilities are closed depends on the day of the week. When swapping destinations on a rainy day, look at closing days first.

Facility	Main closing days
Otaru City General Museum Main Building	Tuesdays. If Tuesday is a public holiday, the following weekday. Year-end and New Year holidays: December 29–January 3.
Otaru City General Museum Canal Building	Year-end and New Year holidays: December 29–January 3.
Otaru City Museum of Literature	Mondays, and the weekday after a public holiday. If Monday is a public holiday, the museum is open and closes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Year-end and New Year holidays: December 29–January 3. Temporary closures occur.
Otaru City Museum of Art	Mondays, and the day after a public holiday. If the following day is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the closure moves to the next weekday. Year-end and New Year holidays; temporary closures occur.
Tanaka Sake Brewery Kikkogura	Open every day.
The Bank of Japan Otaru Museum	Wednesdays. Open if Wednesday is a public holiday. Year-end and New Year holidays: December 29–January 5. Temporary closures occur.
Otaru Art Base	May–October: the fourth Wednesday of each month. November–April: every Wednesday (the following day if it is a public holiday). Year-end and New Year holidays; temporary closures occur.

If you visit Otaru Aquarium on a rainy day, keep in mind that not everything is indoors. The South American sea lion and dolphin shows are indoors, but the Marine Mammal Park has no roof. During the winter operating period from December 12, 2026 to February 23, 2027, the Marine Mammal Park is closed. For how to tour it, see the aquarium article.

Around the canal (Ironai): linking the museums

Around the canal, you can link nearby facilities, depending on how hard it is raining.

Otaru Art Base has closing days that change with the season, so if you plan your day around it, check the closing day for that date first.

Otaru City General Museum Canal Building is at 2-1-20 Ironai, Otaru, and is open 9:30–17:00. Apart from the year-end and New Year holidays, it has no regular weekly closing day.

The Otaru City Museum of Literature and the Otaru City Museum of Art are both at 1-9-5 Ironai, Otaru. Both are open 9:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30. Because the Museum of Literature and the Museum of Art close on Mondays and the days after public holidays, check the date before combining them with the Canal Building so your plans do not go awry.

One example route is Otaru Art Base, the Canal Building, then the Museum of Literature and Museum of Art. You walk outdoors between the buildings.

Moving between buildings when the rain is light, and staying inside one facility when it is heavy, keeps the number of outdoor trips down.

Sakaimachi: browsing inside the shops

In Sakaimachi, you can combine stops built around Kitaichi Glass and the Otaru Music Box Museum.

A guide to the whole street is in Sakaimachi Street. If you want to include crafts, look at glass-making experiences first; if you want a break along the way, look at Cafes and Sweets in Otaru first.

On rainy days, deciding which shops to enter in advance shortens the time you spend walking outside.

Minami-Otaru and Nobuka: Tanaka Sake Brewery Kikkogura

Tanaka Sake Brewery Kikkogura is at 2-2 Nobuka-cho, Otaru. Brewery tours run 9:05–17:30, take 10–15 minutes, and are available every day. Groups of 10 or more need to book in advance.

Details of the tour are on the Tanaka Sake Brewery official page. Depending on the state of the brewing, you may not be able to see the work in progress, so if seeing the sake being made is your main aim, check the official information as well.

Adding it to a day when you head further south from Sakaimachi lets you plan a cluster separate from the canal area.

Temiya and Shukutsu: the museum and the aquarium

Otaru City General Museum Main Building is at 1-3-6 Temiya, Otaru, and is open 9:30–17:00. It is closed on Tuesdays. If Tuesday is a public holiday, it closes the following weekday instead.

The Main Building’s hours and closing days are on the Otaru Tourism Association facility guide. The city’s General Museum official page also has facility information.

On a day you head to Shukutsu, treat Otaru Aquarium as a separate part of your plan. For what the footing is like in the rain and what you can see that day, see the aquarium article.

If you are planning around the surrounding area, see also Shukutsu and the Former Aoyama Villa (Otaru Kihinkan).

Meals and hot springs

Using the hours of heaviest rain for meals and breaks makes it easier to adjust the time you spend moving outdoors.

Near JR Otaru Station, there is Otaru Sankaku Market; to choose by type of food, see Otaru sushi and Lunch in Otaru. For sweets and places to rest, look in Cafes and Sweets in Otaru.

To add more stops around Sakaimachi, there is also an article on Chiikawa Mogumogu Honpo Otaru Store.

If you want to spend time away from the town center, Asarigawa Onsen is also an option. It is a handy approach on days when you would rather not make small trips around the city in the rain and want to split up where you spend your time in larger blocks.

Getting around on rainy days

On rainy days, it is easier to rearrange your plans if you do not assume you will be on foot the whole time.

If you are moving between several destinations, you can look at sightseeing taxis; if you are using local buses around the city, see the one-day bus pass.

Transport information for the bus to the aquarium is gathered in the Otaru Aquarium article.

If you want to shorten your plans to fit the rainy hours or carry part of them over to the next day, How to Stay in and Get Around Otaru can also help.

Rainy months and snowy winter days

The Japan Meteorological Agency’s climate normals for Otaru are statistics for 1991–2020.

Monthly precipitation is 152.4 mm in November and 151.9 mm in December. August is 131.3 mm, September 131.7 mm and October 123.0 mm. May is 53.7 mm and June 55.6 mm.

In winter you also need to prepare for snow. Total monthly snowfall is 142 cm in December, 157 cm in January and 130 cm in February. For walking in winter, see Otaru in Winter, and for temperatures and clothing, see weather and what to wear.

FAQ

What can I do in Otaru on a rainy day?

Around the canal you can combine Otaru Art Base, the Otaru City General Museum Canal Building, and the Otaru City Museum of Literature and Museum of Art. In Sakaimachi, you can plan Kitaichi Glass, Otaru Music Box Museum, glass-making experiences and cafes within one area.

In Temiya there is the General Museum Main Building, and in Shukutsu the indoor parts of the aquarium. However, the aquarium’s Marine Mammal Park has no roof.

Which indoor facilities are open on Mondays?

The facilities that do not have Monday as a regular closing day are the General Museum Canal Building and Main Building, Tanaka Sake Brewery Kikkogura, the Bank of Japan Otaru Museum and Otaru Art Base.

The Otaru City Museum of Literature and the Museum of Art are normally closed on Mondays. Exceptions apply when Monday is a public holiday, over the year-end and New Year holidays, and during temporary closures, so check each museum’s information for the date of your visit.

In winter, should I plan for snow rather than rain?

In winter, it is easier to plan if you prepare for snow rather than assuming only rain. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s normals, total monthly snowfall is 142 cm in December, 157 cm in January and 130 cm in February.

When deciding on footwear and clothing, also check Otaru in Winter and weather and what to wear.