The Otaru Port (Port Code:JPOTR), a good natural port surrounded by mountains on three sides, has been developed from olden times as a base for opening up Hokkaido. Its facilities were outfitted to handle large passenger cruise ships, and now they can even berth 130,000 ton class vessels. The port is close to the downtown district where you'll find Otaru Canal, glass ateliers, large shopping malls, and other tourist facilities within walking range for an enjoyable stroll when docked. National roads, highways, and JR stations are nearby as well, making it quite convenient to access other popular tourist areas in Hokkaido. Moreover, the Otaru Port is only 70 minutes away from New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Hokkaido, so in recent years the port has been used more and more as a launching point for cruises.
It consists of 6 wharves and 35 berths. The port has recently been dredged to 13.1m from 12.0m and can now accommodate Panamax size grain vessels. There are safe anchorages, in calm water, in depths of up to 15.0m. There are regular ferry services to Niigata, Tsuruga and Maizuru and in addition to being a plant and animal quarantine, it is able to import agricultural and farm stock products. Imports: Corn, soyabean, wheat, logs, marine products, timber and farm stock products. Exports: Packing materials, cars and heavy machinery. Approx 25,330,000t of cargo handled annually.