Otaru flourished as the largest trade base of Hokkaido. Otaru played an important role in the form of Sapporo's foreign port when the Hokkaido Development Commission was located in Sapporo during the Meiji Era. Many ships also came from Europe and Sakhalin as well as from domestic ports. Otaru was the first place where banks and trading companies were built in Hokkaido. Otaru Canal and warehouse group, which are Otaru's landmarks, are indispensable for trade history. Even now, Otaru still retains historical buildings such as warehouses and banks of the time, and the nostalgic gas lamps light faintly along the canal. As a place people want to visit repeatedly, Otaru is where tourists visit throughout the year both from Japan and abroad.