Otaru Travel Guides (Updated September 2026)

I'll bring you romance~❣An older brother who approached me with a very friendly smile. Since they said they would guide us to places with few tourists, my friend and I decided to ride with them. The night view reflected on the quiet Otaru Canal, where no one was around, was a truly wonderful space illuminated by the gentle glow of the gas lamps and the moon. It was nice to see a completely different view of the historic buildings when they were lit up, unlike during the daytime. The fun story flew by in 60 minutes. The two older women were completely smitten by the smile of Shibakō Ryū, the rickshaw puller, who was so charming. Since you are on a business trip in Otaru during the summer, please take me with you next time you go to Kyoto. I went to the morning market diner you recommended for breakfast the next day!It was delicious. It became a really good memory. Thank you💞

It was a 45-minute tour at 8pm, but it was a very good excursion. I want to ride again next time.

The charioteer (Shiba) in Otaru, Hokkaido is a cheerful and pleasant charioteer. The explanation of the guide is easy to understand and humorous. I can ride with peace of mind and it was a good memory. I have been in a tourist spot a few times and it was the best.

We loved our rickshaw ride even though the weather was highly variable. Our guide took great care of us thru chilly sunny weather, rain, and even about 1/2 inch of hail! Our guide (Yota?) was very lively and fun, sharing interesting facts about Otaru, both past and present. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer fellow and would highly recommend this activity.

The ride stays around the canal area and stops for photos and site descriptions. Our guide, Toshi, was wonderful, warm, and welcoming and filled us in on Otaru’s interesting history. Absolutely recommend.

I felt grateful to be told what Otaru really looks like. It was not only a guide, but also a good fit for our story, and I was happy with it.

Very perfect and enjoyable experience, the car TORU is very professional and interesting, to each attraction helps us to take photos and explain the history of the sights, also interactive chat, highly recommend this trip.

It was a very enjoyable trip. I took a lot of photos and even had them processed. I'm going to ride again.

I used it when I came to Otaru on my honeymoon. I had used the rickshaw at Ebisuya in other sightseeing spots before, and after consulting with Mr. Tokuo on Instagram DM for various reasons, I made a reservation for him to use it only after deciding the course and time. I'm such a big fan that I'd definitely want to take advantage of the Ebisuya rickshaw if time allowed! It is a lovely shop with a nice person who remembers us even though we only used his rickshaw once two years ago, and is willing to help us with various things this time. You can also take wonderful photos and I highly recommend riding a rickshaw on your travels, as it will definitely leave you with a lot of memories to hear about things that are not in guidebooks!

We went on a rickshaw tour on 7 May 2025. Our guide was Taichi. He was a very good guide. Friendly and cheerful. He was knowledgeable. He took beautiful pictures. Arigatou.

A very interesting hour spent with a knowledgeable and friendly guide who showed us the the sites of Otaru in an unusual way

We took the 90 minute rickshaw ride with Koto as our driver. Koto was a lovely and polite young man with excellent (self-taught) English. He gave us a very informative ride around Otaru, which gave us a great feel for the city for when we walked around later. It was pretty cold, but the seat warmers and blankets kept us warm. We'd recommend this tour for anyone coming to Otaru who fancies going something different.

On 12 February 2025, I took a day trip to Otaru city. With the cold and snow, I decided to hop on a rickshaw tour. I went for a 45 minute ride that costs 13,000 YEN (USD 85).My rickshaw driver, Mr. Taichi Ui, showed me around and explained things in simple English (though it was a bit tricky to hear him at times while he was driving). He also helped me take some cool photos at various stops. If you want to avoid too much walking, this is a another way to see the city!

He taught me a lot about the history of Otaru and I was happy to take a lot of pictures! If you visit Otaru again, I want to go sightseeing on a rickshaw!

This was a great trip. 😊 We booked 2 rickshaws for 1 hour. Very interesting and informative ride around the historic sights of Otaru in the canal area. Very pleasant young men pulling the rickshaws with the option to be dropped back at the cruise terminal if we preferred. Pick up point was easy to find with the map and photo provided.

We went a few years ago in summer, while staying in Sapporo. We are now planning to go in winter. Otaru is an ideal distance for a day trip from Sapporo. Alternatively you can use Otaru as a home base and do day trips out from there. It is so pretty just strolling the streets any time of the day, sunrise, sunset, twilight. We found as you got further north less tourist. If you are planning a holiday and don’t want the queues Otaru is ideal. We are looking forward to going in winter.