OTARU - JAPAN
After the austerity of Russia, Otaru was a pleasant surprise. Its main feature is a picturesque canal but the old part of town is interesting with a variety of nice shops. The local school children put on a tea ceremony for the visitors and played the Koto, a Japanese stringed instrument. On the quayside there was a flea market where I bought a beautiful man’s kimono with a silk dragon hidden on the inside.
Finally, the whole town appeared to arrive on the quayside and played large drums (Taiko) to give the ship a wonderful farewell.
