We were not the only ones who were here early. Other tourists had come to see Otaru, the canal and the shops. It was a beautiful clear day for the siteseeing and walking about. There is a tram that takes you up a hill to get a bird's eye view of the city. Ffor us, there was not enought time to manage that detour. We were early because we would be leaving on a morning train to Hakodate the next day.
This is one of the many glass blowing shops in town. This one happens to be open to the street so people could walk up and the process as it happens. We could see the blowers already working on something. They would pull it out of the furnace and work on it until it cooled down to much to be shaped. Then it was back into the furnace to reheat and repeat the process until the desired shape was achieved.
This is the far end of the merchant street that we were walking down for most of the day. the weather was getting cooler as the sun set. It was fully set by the time we reached the far end. There had been stops along the way to take pictures, eat snacks, and buy souvenirs. Dinner would not happen in Otaru. It would be back in Sapporo as we rejoined the remaining travelmates back at the hotel.
