After finishing their trip in Sapporo, Kōyū and Ai headed to Otaru as planned.
Otaru is a romantic city with a European feel.
Especially the Otaru Canal.
The canal is lined with historical stone warehouses.
The warehouses, once a hub for shipping goods, stand quietly on the banks of the canal. The passage of time has not diminished their original appearance; instead, they have acquired a unique charm.
The gas lamps along the canal added a touch of romance to Kōyū and Ai's walk.
The gas lamps emitting a warm, yellow light, combined with this nearly century-old stone warehouse, create a romantic scene.
This picture occupies the cover of all the Otaru tourist brochures.
It was this cover that attracted the two of them to come here.
Walking along the stone-paved sidewalk, the warm light shines on people's faces, making their expressions look much softer.
For some reason, even though Guangyou didn't experience that era, he always felt as if time had flowed back to more than a hundred years ago.
In this nostalgic atmosphere, Kwang-woo unconsciously turned his head to look at the girl walking beside him.
"What's wrong?"
Ai's voice, also affected by the atmosphere, became less cold and unfamiliar than usual, and more gentle.
“I suddenly remembered Shunji Iwai’s novel and his movie,” Kōyū replied.
There's a very popular novel in the last two years called "Love Letter," written by Shunji Iwai.
It tells a very pure love story.
The story takes place in the city of Otaru.
"Are you saying there's a girl with the same name as you, but who looks a lot like me? And you like me just because I resemble her?" Ai smiled slightly and joked with Kōyū.
"How could that be!" Kōyū squeezed Ai's hand a little tighter and said seriously, "I'm just glad that my feelings for you weren't so late in letting you know."
"How could someone who seemed to have their feelings written all over their face when you first met them be like that?"
Remembering when they first met Kōyū, Ai couldn't help but tease him.
“That’s true.” Guangyou didn’t feel embarrassed and laughed a few times.
After taking a walk, the two wanted to rest, so they went to a café converted from a warehouse, sat on a sofa by the fireplace, and sipped a cup of rich coffee.
The Otaru Canal isn't the only place with a romantic atmosphere.
To exaggerate a bit, every tourist attraction in Otaru is filled with a romantic atmosphere.
Whether it's the gas lamps along the Otaru Canal, the red bricks of the stone warehouse, the crystal bears in the shops, the oil paintings in the art museums, or the music boxes in the museums...
Most importantly, the person by your side is someone you like.
That way, anywhere can be quite romantic.
According to Guangyou, the reason why he finds Otaru romantic is that it doesn't have the hectic pace of big cities like Tokyo, with its 9-to-5 or 996 work schedules, nor is it as crowded and noisy.
The atmosphere in Otaru is relaxing, allowing you to better enjoy every moment with your loved one.
"Otaru is the only place in Japan that makes glass," is a well-known saying throughout Japan, referring to the fact that Otaru's glass is the best in the country.
The exquisite glass craftsmanship of Otaru is another unique aspect of its romance.
On their second day in Otaru, the two enjoyed one of the freshest and most delicious seafood sushi in Otaru, a sushi street known locally as "Sushi-ya-dori." Afterward, they strolled north towards Ichi Glass to visit a glass shop that best represents Otaru's glassmaking craftsmanship.
The glass factory is a warehouse built entirely of stone during the Meiji era.
It was a little dark inside, but the thousands of glass artifacts and hundreds of oil lamps in the North Hall created a very warm atmosphere.
The glass artifacts on the surrounding walls sparkled under the light, making you feel as if you were in a starry sky.
Walking through the area with Ai, Kōyū thought it was quite romantic.
Afterwards, the two visited the Otaru Music Box Museum, which was not far away.
This is the oldest and largest music box museum in all of Japan.
The Otaru Music Box Museum, converted from one of Hokkaido's oldest buildings in 1912 (Meiji 45), is filled with the atmosphere of its era.
The arched windows in the style of the European Renaissance, the red brick exterior walls made of dark red glazed bricks, and the cornerstones made of natural stone interspersed with red bricks all tell the story of the long years that have passed.
There is also a 5.5-meter-tall steam clock at the entrance, which is the largest existing steam clock in the world.
Every fifteen minutes, pleasant music plays and steam billows out, creating a strong sense of nostalgia throughout the museum, thanks to its retro exterior.
In keeping with the main building, the exhibits inside also have a long history.
The hall, which is about nine meters high, is filled with antique furniture from that era.
However, no matter what style of furniture comes here, it cannot change their fate of playing a supporting role.
The main attraction of the music box museum is, of course, the music box itself.
These supporting characters exist solely to highlight the classic styles of classical music boxes made in the 19th century.
Walking to the back of the hall, in a modern space with red as the main color, you will find high-quality music boxes on display, including a peach wood music box worth one million yen and a doll music box with great collectible value.
Above the space is a suspended attic, with unique music boxes made of ceramic or glass, gleaming warmly under the dim light.
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