Otaru

Otaru is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and has lengthy served as the primary port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a famous vacationer vacation spot. Because it's miles a 25-minute force from Sapporo, it has lately grown as a bedroom community. As of 31 July 2011, the city has an predicted populace of 131,706 with 67,308 households and a population density of 541.71 people consistent with km2 1,403.0 individuals according to sq.mi. The overall place is 243.13 km2.

Although it's miles the largest metropolis in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, the subprefecture's capital is the more centrally located Kutchan. The city became an Ainu habitation, and the call Otaru is known as being of Ainu starting place, probable meaning "River jogging thru the sandy beach. The very small remaining part of the Temiya Cave incorporates carvings from the Zoku-Jomon period of Ainu history, round A.D. 400. Otaru became known as a village by using the bakufu in 1865, and in 1880 the first railway line in Hokkaido became opened with day by day carrier among Otaru and Sapporo. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Otaru as an open port for trading with the US and the United Kingdom.