Rustic Japan -A Guide to Rural Japan & Off-the-Beaten-Path Countryside- 日本語

Hokkaido

Japan's northern island, from Hakodate to the eastern coast

Otaru Canal at night during the Otaru Snow Light Path, with candles floating on the water beside snow-covered stone warehouses

Hokkaido February 2025

Otaru: The Snow Light Path (Yuki Akari no Michi)

Otaru, in Hokkaido, is a top destination, and its canal, the star of every guidebook, is the town's face. I went during the Snow Light Path, when the canal shines brightest.