Planning a trip to Otaru but overwhelmed by how many places there are to see? One spot worth putting near the top of your list is the “Otaru Music Box Museum Main Hall” (小樽オルゴール堂 本館), known locally as Otaru Orgel-do. This guide covers why it’s worth visiting, how to get there, and what to look out for once you’re inside.
What Is the Otaru Music Box Museum?
The Otaru Music Box Museum specializes in music boxes, with roughly 3,200 different designs on display. The Main Hall is a three-story brick building, and each floor features a different theme of music boxes.
Basic Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 9:00 AM–6:00 PM (2nd and 3rd floors close at 5:45 PM) |
| Closed | Open year-round, no regular closing days |
| Parking | Not available |
| Address | 4-1 Sumiyoshi-cho, Otaru, Hokkaido |
The Historic Building
The Main Hall building was originally constructed in 1915 (Taisho 4) as the head office of Kyosei Co., Ltd., one of Hokkaido’s leading rice merchants. It’s now recognized as Otaru City Designated Historic Building No. 17. Its brick construction is relatively rare in Otaru, where many historic buildings are built of stone.
The Steam Clock
Standing in front of the Main Hall is a large steam clock, the second work ever created by Raymond Saunders, the clockmaker credited with building the world’s first steam clock. It shares a “sister” relationship with the original steam clock in Vancouver’s Gastown, Canada, and at 5.5 meters tall, 1 meter wide, and weighing 1.5 tons, it’s considered one of the largest steam clocks in the world.
While the clock mechanism itself runs on electricity, it’s computer-controlled to generate steam via a boiler, and every 15 minutes a melody plays through whistles at the top of the clock.
How to Get There
The museum is most conveniently reached from JR Minami-Otaru Station. From the station, head north along Sumiyoshi-dori street; turn left at the first traffic light and continue straight, and the Main Hall will come into view.
What It’s Actually Like to Visit
Visiting in person, what stood out most was simply how many different music boxes there are, and how beautiful the space feels. With roughly 3,200 designs, every melody comes paired with its own shape, so it’s easy to spend a long time browsing without getting bored.
The sheer variety of music boxes also makes for a striking visual experience — the building has an open atrium in the center, so looking down from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor offers a particularly beautiful view.
Summary
The Otaru Music Box Museum Main Hall is best known for two things: its variety of music boxes and its iconic steam clock. The steam clock is the second work by Raymond Saunders, the clockmaker behind the world’s first steam clock, standing 5.5 meters tall and weighing 1.5 tons. Inside, around 3,200 kinds of music boxes await. The easiest way to get there is from JR Minami-Otaru Station — hopefully this guide helps you plan your visit.
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