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Otaru
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Otaru
Otaru Otaru, Japan.

Otaru

Japan
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News •

This snowy Japanese town represents love. But overtourism is turning the sweetness sour • Feb. 3, 2025, 12:41 AM ET (CNN)
Picture prefect: Japanese city deploys guards to control unruly tourists seeking perfect shot • Jan. 29, 2025, 3:07 AM ET (The Guardian)
Hong Kong tourist killed in Japan after being hit by train while taking photos • Jan. 24, 2025, 12:29 AM ET (Straits Times)
Hong Kong tourist killed by train in Japan while taking photos on tracks • Jan. 23, 2025, 4:24 AM ET (South China Morning Post)

Otaru, city, Hokkaido, Japan, on Ishikari Bay of the Sea of Japan. Its name is a corruption of the Ainu word otarunai, meaning “sandy beach.” Otaru developed as a modern town in the late 19th century. Provided with a good natural harbour, it is now the second most important seaport after Hakodate and the largest industrial and commercial city on the west coast of Hokkaido. The city is also a recreation centre for Asarigawa Spa, Otamoi Park, and the Otaru Aquarium, one of the largest in Japan. Pop. (2005) 142,161; (2010) 131,928.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.