Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
10 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
10 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
10 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Otaru Kitaichi Hall

Kitaichi Hall

A gorgeous, nostalgic café housed in a lofty old warehouse, lit only by petroleum lamps.

Otaru, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Kitaichi Hall.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Kitaichi Hall.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The shop area.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The beautiful glass lamps.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The beautiful, lamp-lit cafe.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Quite possibly the grandest cafe in Otaru.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The menu with samples.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Royal milk tea float, full of Hokkaido milk.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
“Welcome to Kitaichi Glass.”   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The old trolley tracks.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The lofty ceiling.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Kitaichi Glass is one of the most popular brands based in Otaru, established in 1901 as a manufacturer of petrol lamps and trawler floats. As Otaru developed into a major tourist destination over the years, it shifted to producing tableware, ornaments, wind chimes, and the like, branching into a total of 17 locations within the city.

On the bustling Sakaimachi-Dori shopping street stands the Sangokan ("Building No. 3"), a historic building constructed in 1891 as a fishery warehouse where local herrings were processed and canned. Trolley tracks from those bygone days, which connected the warehouse to the harbor, are also well preserved, allowing visitors to walk over as an atmospheric corridor.

Today, the former warehouse is home to an outlet of Kitaichi Glass, three floors full of stunning glassware, as well as a café called the Kitaichi Hall.

Simply put, the Kitaichi Hall is nothing short of magnificence, with a lofty ceiling and wooden beams. Its only source of lighting is 167 petroleum lamps, a few on each table and some on the chandeliers above, giving a warm, nostalgic, dreamlike feel to the place. Along the wall sits a Steinway grand piano, where live performances are held daily from Tuesday to Friday (except national holidays) at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 PM.

Full of local fare, the menu is well worth a mention, of course. The whipped ice cream and royal milk tea are made from the famous Hokkaido milk, and the parfait is made from haskap, the blue honeysuckle native to Hokkaido. During the lunch hours between 11:00 AM and 2:50 PM, you can also order rice bowls and noodles featuring Hokkaido's signature seafood: crab, salmon, and salmon roe. There's a nice selection of Otaru's craft beer, too.

The petroleum lamps are lit by human hands every morning at 8:45, allowing early visitors to watch the operation before opening for the day at 9:00.

Related Tags

Cafe Factories Glass

Know Before You Go

Kitaichi Hall is open every day from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM; the lamp-lighting begins at 8:45 AM and the last call is at 5:00 PM. Not, however, that the opening hours may be subject to change.

Photography is much allowed, though you are encouraged to avoid picturing other customers’ faces the best you can. Using flash and taking videos, on the other hand, are strictly forbidden.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

September 5, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Kitaichi Hall
Otaru, 047-0027
Japan
43.192268, 141.007334
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Otaru Orgel Museum

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Former Temiya Line Railroad

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Otaru Herring Palace

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Otaru

Otaru

Japan

Places 3

Nearby Places

Otaru Orgel Museum

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Former Temiya Line Railroad

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Otaru Herring Palace

Otaru, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Otaru

Otaru

Japan

Places 3

Related Places

  • The glass mural of old Zacatlán

    Zacatlán, Mexico

    Vitromurales de Zacatlán

    This glass mural on the wall of a cemetery started a peculiar tradition in Zacatlán.

  • Fontenoy-la-Joûte, France

    Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte

    This village in the northeast of France is packed with book shops.

  • The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Café Reconcile

    This non-profit restaurant offers job training and skills to members of the Central City community.

  • Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe

    The last surviving bastion of the Baquet restaurant empire serves up superb soul food.

  • The Cathedral Café has been serving it’s community for more than 120 years.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia

    Cathedral Café

    Soak in the sacred vibes at this beloved food and coffee hangout inside a former church.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe

    An immersive exhibition that meditates on death and life.

  • Williamsburg, Virginia

    Jamestown Glasshouse

    History says that America’s first English industrial manufacture began here with a “tryal of glasse.”

    Sponsored by Visit Williamsburg
  • The Plain Folk Cafe takes up both of the schoolhouse’s original two rooms.

    Pleasant Plain, Ohio

    Plain Folk Live Music Cafe

    A local cafe and concert venue occupy a 1913 school house.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.