Former Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry
This former office of the Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry was built in Art Deco style in 1933. The facade of the three-story reinforced concrete building is covered in carved Chitose stone from Komatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture, prized for its golden color. The portico entrance is covered with white marble from Tosa (present-day Kochi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku) and trimmed with patterned copper. The quality of materials and the workmanship of the details reflects Otaru’s economic vigor at the time. The building is now part of a hotel.
Local merchants and business people established a Chamber of Commerce in 1895 to represent their interests as the volume of trade through Otaru increased in the late nineteenth century. They celebrated the new association with a banquet for over 200 guests at Kaiyotei restaurant in 1897. Chamber of Commerce members petitioned the local and national governments on issues including taxes on commercial buildings, relocating railway lines, adding new roads and sea routes, and opening trade with Russia and China. They also worked to attract new schools and financial institutions to Otaru.
The Otaru Chamber of Commerce and Industry used the building until 2009, when they moved to a more modern office. It was later sold to the OMO5 Hotel and renovated as a restaurant and lounge, keeping some of the original fittings and furnishings.
