Otaru was called the “Wall Street of the North” from the late Meiji period to the early Showa period, and laid the foundation of Hokkaido’s economic development as a distribution and financial hub.
The building was constructed as a bank during Otaru’s prosperous period, and exhibits and publicizes excellent Japanese and international art works and crafts that have glamorized that era.
An art village combining contemporary art and historical buildings in Otaru, the city of glass.
Recommended as a sightseeing spot in case of rain or stormy weather.
This museum exhibits stained glass windows that were made in England from the late 19th to the early 20th century and actually decorated church windows.
The building (former Takahashi Warehouse) was built in 1923 and used to store soybeans.
Built in 1927 and designated as a National Important Cultural Property, this historical building tells the story of Otaru, known as the "Wall Street of the North.
The exterior is of Renaissance architecture, with granite piled up on the exterior walls and plant motifs decorating the eaves.
The interior is characterized by plaster ceilings, and projection mapping depicting the four seasons of Japan is shown on the entire ceiling, allowing visitors to enjoy the fusion of the historical building and modern art.
The building is the former Otaru branch of the Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, built in 1923.
The first floor is a stained glass gallery exhibiting church stained glass works by Charles Lewis Tiffany and others.
Japanese paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, Kawai Gyokudo, and others are exhibited on the 4th floor, Western paintings by Kishida Ryusei and others from Japan and abroad are on the 3rd floor, and wood carvings by Takamura Koun and his students are on the 2nd floor.
The former Naniwa Warehouse, completed in 1925 and facing the Otaru Canal, is an elegant space exhibiting glass works by Emile Gallé, the Dome Brothers, and René Lalique, who were active at the end of the 19th century, as well as furniture and interior furnishings from that period, and Art Nouveau and Art Deco glass.
Business hours
[May-October] 9:30-17:00
[November-April] 10:00-16:00
[May-Oct] No holidays
[November-April] Wednesdays (or the following day if the Wednesday is a national holiday)
*Please note that the museum may be temporarily closed or the closing date may be changed due to the holding of special exhibitions or changing of exhibits, etc.
Admission Common ticket for all four museums
General admission 2,900 yen
University students 2,000 yen
High school students 1,500 yen
Junior high school student 1,000 yen
Elementary school students 500 yen
Admission to the museum store is free.
From JR Sapporo Station, take the Hakodate Line bound for Otaru and get off at JR Otaru Station.
From JR Otaru Station, take a cab (approx. 3 min.), walk (approx. 10 min.) or bus (approx. 3 min.) from Chuo Bus Stop A (in front of Taruseki Building) to (9) Otaru Unga Terminal, and get off at Otaru Geijutsu-mura.