Otaru Stained Glass Museum - Hokkaido

The Otaru Stained Glass Museum (小樽芸術村 ステンドグラス美術館) is one of the repurposed historical buildings of Otaru City. It now houses numerous beautiful stained glass windows from England. It is located at 1 Chome-2-16 Ironai, Otaru City in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. 

Otaru Stained Glass Museum 

Otaru Stained Glass Museum details

The Takahashi Warehouse, now famously known as the Otaru Stained Glass Museum, was constructed in 1923 and was used as a warehouse to store soybeans. It was refurbished and reopened as a shop in 1989.

Otaru Stained Glass Museum - Otaru City, Hokkaido Prefecture

It is a Western-style two-story timber-framed stone structure. It is characterized by the queen post truss (paired roof truss) in which beams are doubled and two bundles are constructed symmetrically in the middle of the beam.

Going to the Otaru Stained Glass Museum from the Former Mitsui Bank

The history board of Otaru Stained Glass Museum

Today, the architecture is still maintained but the building now houses beautiful stained glass windows from England. These were made in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and were used as church window fittings. Due to what seems like a decrease in interest in religion in England, numerous churches have been demolished in recent years. Still, thankfully most of the beautiful stained glass windows were saved and ended up in Japan.

Inside the Otaru Stained Glass Museum*

* I posted only a handful of photos of the exhibits and purposely didn't label them so that you would only get a glimpse of what the Otaru Stained Glass Museum offers. Please visit it and enjoy it with your own eyes.

Today, you will see these religious works of art in the Otaru Stained Glass Museum. Each stained glass window has a story to tell like those that chronicle the tale of Queen Victoria's reign, the Edwardian Era, and the period following World War I.

Team Nicerio visits the Otaru Stained Glass Museum

My family and I visited the Otaru Stained Glass Museum 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 enjoyed how beautiful the stained glass windows were and how they made us feel that we were inside a church. Regardless, religion aside, everyone would probably appreciate these stained glass windows as a work of art.

Overall, I highly recommend that you visit the Otaru Stained Glass Museum if you are exploring Otaru City.

Otaru Stained Glass Museum Entrance Fee

Visitors need to pay an entrance fee to enter the Otaru Stained Glass Museum.

Otaru Stained Glass Museum Entrance Fees

Adults: 700 yen
Students: 500 yen
High School Students: 400 yen
Junior High School and Elementary Students: 200 yen

Otaru Stained Glass Museum Operating Hours

The Stained Glass Museum is open from:

May to October: 9:30 – 5 PM
November to April: 10 AM – 4 PM

Why visit the Otaru Stained Glass Museum?

The Otaru Stained Glass Museum is a one-of-a-kind museum in Hokkaido. It’s a must-visit if you are exploring Otaru. Visitors would appreciate the beauty of the stained glass windows as a work of art.

Getting to the Otaru Stained Glass Museum

From Sapporo Station, ride the JR Hakodate Main Line and board down at the Otaru Station. From there, the Otaru Stained Glass Museum is about 10 minutes away on foot.

If walking is not an option then;

It is 3 minutes by cab and 3 minutes by bus [Chuo Bus Otaru Station Bus Terminal No.4], where you may catch the [No. 9 bus going for Tenguyama Ropeway Line]. Take the [Otaru Art Base] exit.

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