Solo Trip to Otaru

Following my time in Sapporo, the next day I headed to Otaru.
↓ Click here for my solo trip to Sapporo 🕊️

I left Sapporo at 10:00 AM and it took about 40 minutes by train.
First stop: Otaru Canal.

After strolling around the canal, I headed to the area in front of the station for sushi.
It's only about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station to the canal, so it's easy to go back and forth.

It was 11:30 AM.
I arrived at "Sushi Takutsu."
I ordered the "Today's Omakase 12-piece set."
It's a style where they serve one piece at a time, and I was excited every time wondering what kind of sushi would come next! 🥰
The chef and his wife were very kind, so even though it was a high-end sushi place, I was able to enjoy it without feeling nervous in a good way!
It was such a wonderful restaurant that I want to bring my husband here someday.

Satisfied with sushi, I headed to Sakaimachi Street.
It was just past 12:00 PM.
I followed my heart and went into any shop that caught my eye.
There were many shops with beautiful glasswork and delicious-looking, cute chocolates.
Everywhere I went, my eyes were delighted.

After walking for a while looking at various shops, I found the LeTAO main store.
There is a cafe on the second floor, so I put my name on the waiting list.
There were 35 groups waiting...!
They notify you via LINE when your turn is getting close, so I decided to go see the nearby Otaru Music Box Museum Main Building.

It was full of music boxes (as you'd expect)—I feel like I saw a lifetime's worth of them! Haha
It was incredibly cute, and I felt like I was looking at a jewelry box.
It makes you want to buy one... but then I thought, where would I put it? And for the ones that are also trinket boxes, what would I put inside? So I decided not to buy anything.

Just as I finished looking around the Music Box Museum, I got a LINE notification that my turn at the LeTAO cafe was getting close.
What perfect timing.
It was just before 2:00 PM. I headed to the LeTAO cafe, waited a little, and was able to get in.
I ordered the main store exclusive "Chocolate Temptation Set."

The cheesecake has a rich cheese flavor and is delicious! It's amazing how the chocolate flavor is just as strong, yet it never clashes with the cheese.

The chocolate cake is definitely chocolatey, but the top layer is a less sweet chocolate, and perhaps because that's the part you taste most, it doesn't feel heavy at all.

The orange garnish is also juicy and pairs well with the chocolate cakes. It refreshes the palate.
The raspberry sauce also had a nice tartness, which again went well with the chocolate cakes.

For the tea in the set, I had the hot version of the main store exclusive "Carillon Tone," a blend of fig, peach, apricot, ice wine, and Earl Grey.
It had a sweet, peach-like aroma, but the sweetness was only subtle at the end, making it easy to drink.
It was very elegant, and even for someone like me who doesn't usually drink tea, I could tell it was delicious.

Both the cake and the tea were delicious and wonderful!
I thought it would be difficult to take LeTAO cakes home, so I'm very grateful there's a cafe where I can enjoy them like this.

After filling up on sweets, I went to the Otaru Music Box Museum Hall No. 2 right in front.
A performance of antique music boxes was just about to start, so I listened.
I was impressed by the fact that such a huge pipe organ could play automatically, even if it required a little human help.

From here, I'll wander through the shops on Sakaimachi Street again as the mood takes me.
I thought about buying something from Kitaichi Glass as a souvenir of my trip, but I didn't come across 'the one,' so I decided against it.
Instead, I looked through many different shops and was able to buy things I really liked.

I've seen all the shops, so I decided to head back to Odori early for dinner.
I had sushi for lunch, so I wanted meat for dinner.
It's 6:00 PM. I decided to enjoy some lamb shabu-shabu all by myself.
I visited 'Hokkai Shabu Shabu' in the northern country.

I thought there was a lot of meat, but it was a shame that it would break and get smaller when I shabu-shabu'd it, perhaps because it was sliced too thin.
But the taste was delicious!
I'm also happy that the rice ball and ramen were included as a set. Sometimes if you order them separately, the portions are too big, so I often worry when I just want a little bit...
It satisfied my craving for just a little bit, which I'm grateful for.😊

Also, what surprised me was that, perhaps because it was early and empty, when I called to make a reservation, I was guided to a semi-private room for six people.
The moment I was shown to the seat, I thought, 'But I'm alone!? Is this right!?' Haha.
As a result, it was great to be able to eat in a spacious and relaxed way.

I really enjoyed sightseeing in Otaru too!
Every shop had a wonderful exterior, just walking around was exciting, and once I went inside, the lovely sweets and glassware were a feast for the eyes.
You can fully enjoy it even without a car if you have a day, it's a really great tourist destination!
I highly recommend it.✨️

I also realized the fun of traveling alone, and it was a really good experience.
That said, I might not go on a trip alone by myself again... I feel like I'll end up going with friends or my husband after all.
Should I try it during summer vacation...?
If there are any places you've been to that you liked, please let me know.🙇

Today is the strongest lucky day where Tenshachi, Ichiryumanbai, Tora no Hi, and Taian overlap.
It is a very auspicious day and a good day to start something new.
I thought, if I'm going to create a magazine in a new genre, today is the day! So I created a travel magazine.

I hope to continue going to many different places and leaving many travel records on note...
I hope I can write them happily myself, and that everyone can enjoy reading them...
I put those wishes into it.
I would be happy if you could look forward to travel-related articles in the future!
Thank you for your support.😊