Otaru canal, glassworks and Hokkaido coast

Otaru was one of Hokkaido's busiest ports in the early 20th century, rich on herring and trade, and its canal, completed in 1923, let barges carry cargo straight to the warehouses. When shipping moved on, residents campaigned to keep it rather than fill it in; a stretch survives, lined with the original stone warehouses, many now cafes and shops. Glassmaking here began with oil lamps and fishing floats for the herring fleets, and that craft still fills the old merchant street.

Every option departs from Sapporo. The 2-hour dusk walk is timed for the lamplight: a guided stroll along the canal path as the gas lamps flicker on, followed by free time among the glassworks. The 6-hour half day pairs Otaru with the Shiroi Koibito grounds in Sapporo, a sweets factory park known for its white-chocolate biscuits. Going further, the 10-hour day follows the coast west to the Shakotan Peninsula, where cliffs drop into water of a deep, almost unreal blue, and the guide sets the pace on the cape trail.

Sakaimachi street is where the glass and music boxes are, with studios where you can watch pieces being blown and shelves of small souvenirs that travel well. February brings the Snow Light Path festival, when candles in snow lanterns line the canal; winter pavements can be icy, so soles with grip matter. On Shakotan, summer is sea-urchin season and the headland paths are at their best, while heavy snow can shut the cape path in the cold months.