Otaru Romankan can be the iconic building and shop at the Otaru canal area. Located along the Sakaimachi Street, Otaru Romankan is housed in the former Otaru Branch of the 113th Bank (旧百十三銀行小樽支店), originally built in 1908 (Meiji 41). The structure stands as a testament to Otaru's golden age as the "Wall Street of the North" during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and is officially designated as Otaru City Historic Landmark No. 19. The building utilizes Otaru’s signature architectural method—a supportive interior wooden timber frame clad with thick local Hokkaido "soft stone" (tuff ashlar), delivering outstanding fire resistance, thermal insulation, and structural integrity. ​The exterior exhibits refined Neo-Renaissance classicism. Its facade emphasizes balanced symmetry and clean horizontal lines, reflecting the dignity and financial stability expected of prominent banking institutions of that era.

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Otaru Romankan is housed in a designated historic landmark of Otaru City, representing late Meiji-period commercial architecture. The building was originally constructed as the Otaru branch of the Dai Hyakujusan National Bank and served this function until 1908, when the branch relocated further north along the same street due to expansion. After the bank moved out, the building was used as the office of a timber trader and later a tea wholesaler, reflecting Otaru’s role as an important regional commercial hub in the early 20th century. Structurally, it is built of stone on a wooden frame and combines Japanese and Western architectural elements typical of the Meiji period. Although relatively small and single-storey, the building features a hipped tile roof, tongari conical decorations, and a relief of a scale weight carved beneath the eaves — the former bank’s corporate symbol — which together give it a strong architectural identity. Today, the building functions as Otaru Romankan, housing retail spaces focused on traditional crafts, souvenirs, and decorative items. At the time of our visit in winter, the area in front of the building featured snow sculptures depicting well-known characters from Studio Ghibli films, including No-Face (Kaonashi) from Spirited Away and Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro.

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Cute and charming glass art store with a huge variety of merchandise sold. I was instantly drawn by their cat shaped glass bead accessories, which was available in various colors and types. The store is one of many preserved antique buildings of Otaru, so it is an attraction worth to visit itself if you are interested in that kind of thing. The staffs were polite and did not bother nor question me even though I was browsing for a very long time (I’m a rather picky buyer 😅) and I was offered tax free as long as the purchase is above 5.000 JPY. Definitely will come back when I’m in Otaru area again next time ☺️

This is the late October version of Otaru Romankan, with the calming and historical atmosphere, the red leaves growing on the wall were stunning with the blue sky🍂 The building was Former OTARU BRANCH of HYAKUJUSAN BANK (旧百十三銀行小樽支店). The inner decoration were impressive with the high ceiling, sparkling glass products were available for sale in store🍷✨ This is a nice store which you should visit for a feel of incorporating historical building with modern living 🌟

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I visited Otaru Romankan in late October and was stunned by the beautiful sight of red leaves covering its walls. The shop is located in the heart of Otaru and is easily accessible. It mainly sells glass accessories. You may also notice some western-style paintings on the wall.

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