Kitaichi Glass Otaru - Hokkaido

Kitaichi Glass Otaru (北一硝子) is known for its impressive collection of glassworks and its restaurant called Kitaichi Hall. It is located at 7-26 Sakaimachi, Otaru City in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan.

北一硝子
Kitaichi Glass Otaru

Kitaichi Glass Otaru details

Built sometime in 1891, Kitaichi Glass Otaru was once referred to as the Sangokan Warehouse. The current Kitaichi Glass No. 3 Building is a timber-framed stone-clad warehouse. The timber structure is made of Ezo and Todo pine, with cypress serving as the primary material underneath the floor. The exterior wall is made of soft Otaru stone. Soft stone makes a good wall material for warehouses because of its outstanding heat insulation qualities.

北一硝子
Kitaichi Glass Otaru - Otaru City, Hokkaido Prefecture

It was originally used to store processed fish products such as dried herring but when the herring era ended the warehouse's function evolved based on the need of the time.

Inside Kitaichi Glass Otaru



北一硝子

北一硝子



The warehouse was converted into the current-day Kitaichi Glass Otaru sales outlet and café in 1983. Since then, it has been one of the main tourist attractions along Sakaimachi Street in Otaru City.

Inside Kitaichi Hall

北一硝子
Kitaichi Hall visual menu


北一硝子


北一硝子



北一硝子


Team Nicerio visits Kitaichi Glass Otaru and Kitaichi Hall


北一硝子


北一硝子


My family and I visited Kitaichi Glass Otaru for the first time last August 20, 2022, which was the 2nd day of our 4-day "From Osaka with Love" Road Trip with our Japanese family. It’s also my 292nd day here in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme. We made sure to bring our Japanese family here to treat them at Kitaichi Hall. We also enjoyed checking out the numerous glass crafts sold in its shop.

Kitaichi Glass Otaru Entrance Fee

It’s FREE to enter and explore the shop of Kitaichi Glass Otaru. However, you need to dine in if you want to see the famed Kitaichi Hall. Heads up, there is usually a long queue here so come early.

Kitaichi Glass Otaru Operating Hours

Kitaichi Glass Otaru is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Why visit Kitaichi Glass Otaru?

If you are a big fan of beautifully made glass crafts then this place is a must-visit. If you’re into dining at beautiful places, then you should try eating at Kitaichi Hall. In my opinion, the place is romantic but the smell of kerosene is a bit overwhelming.

Getting to Kitaichi Glass Otaru:

Kitaichi Glass Otaru can be reached in ten minutes by foot from Otaru Station or in five minutes by foot from Minami-Otaru Station. Alternatively, two of the four tourist bus lines operated by Otaru Stroller run along the street, providing frequent connections to Otaru Station.

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