Otaru

Featured view

Otaru

Total population

111,299

Air quality index

26Good

Coordinates43.19°, 140.99°

Demographic figures from Statistics Bureau of Japan. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

Overview

Otaru is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination. Because it is a 25-minute drive from Sapporo, it has grown as a commuter town. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 107,432 and a population density of 441 persons per km2. The total area is 243.83 km2 (94.14 sq mi). Although it is the largest city in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, the subprefecture's capital is the more centrally located Kutchan.

Geography

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Air quality

Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).

Wildlife & biodiversity

Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Earthquake history

Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).

Notable people from here

Miyoshi Umeki

Japanese-American actress and singer (1929–2007)

Y

Yoshikazu Norota

Japanese ski jumper

M

Masaru Nagaoka

Japanese ski jumper

Masaki Kobayashi

Japanese film director (1916–1996)

Yoshiko Yoshiizumi

Japanese ski jumper (1980-)

R

Ryōhei Nishimori

Japanese ski jumper

Maki Murakami

Japanese manga artist

H

Hirokazu Yagi

Japanese ski jumper, coach

Tetsuya Mizuguchi

Japanese video game designer

Nobuko Miyamoto

Japanese actress

N

Nobuo Nakatsu

Japanese ski jumper

T

Tetsuya Okabe

Japanese alpine skier

Hideharu Miyahira

Japanese ski jumper

N

Natsuhiko Kyōgoku

novelist

K

Kazumi Yamashita

Japanese manga artist

Sei Ito

Japanese writer (1905-1969)

People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.

Nearby places in Hokkaido

• Yoichi
  10.6 mi away · pop. 18,000
• Akaigawa
  11.8 mi away · pop. 1,165
• Niki
  11.8 mi away · pop. 3,180
• Ishikari
  16.2 mi away · pop. 56,869
• Furubira
  18.6 mi away · pop. 2,745
• Sapporo
  20.2 mi away · pop. 1,973,395
• Tanukikoji
  20.3 mi away
• Shakotan
  21.3 mi away · pop. 1,831
• Kutchan
  23.2 mi away · pop. 15,129
• Kyogoku
  23.6 mi away · pop. 2,941
• Sweden Hills
  23.8 mi away
• Kyowa
  24.2 mi away · pop. 5,772

Browse all places in Hokkaido →

Geography & sun

Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.

Public attention

Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.

Books about Otaru

Search results from Open Library.

Recently spotted species

Bull Thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Seen 2026-06-26

great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Seen 2026-06-26

Giant Knotweed

Reynoutria sachalinensis

Seen 2026-06-26

Pacific Swift

Apus pacificus

Seen 2026-06-17

Black-tailed Gull

Larus crassirostris

Seen 2026-06-17

Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Seen 2026-06-07

kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

Seen 2026-06-07

Slaty-backed Gull

Larus schistisagus

Seen 2026-05-28

Western Lily of the Valley

Maianthemum dilatatum

Seen 2026-05-27

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Gallery

Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Otaru, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.

Official Identifiers