Kitahama Historic Warehouses

Six stone warehouses built by merchant shipowners from the Hokuriku region of Honshu still stand near the north end of Otaru Canal. Each is constructed from local tuff stone fixed to a timber frame, a design that balanced fire resistance with fast, affordable construction. The Ukon Warehouse, built in 1894, bears a distinctive truncated roofline that resulted from a dynamite explosion at a nearby train station in 1924. The Hiroumi and Masuda warehouses belonged to Kaga shipowner families who traded in marine products and ran joint marine insurance services. Several buildings now house storage for Kitaichi Glass, while the Shibusawa Warehouse serves as a cafe.