Day Trips from SapporoAotsuka Shokudo: Grilled Shellfish and Herring by the Sea in Otaru
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A seafood restaurant by the fishing port in Shukutsu, 10 minutes from central Otaru
- Grilled shellfish are the highlight; ask what is in season
- Herring rice bowl set with scallop miso soup
- 10:00–19:00 (last order 18:00); free parking for 10–20 cars
Aotsuka Shokudo is on Cape Takashima in Shukutsu, a fishing area about 10 minutes by car from central Otaru, and it serves seafood straight from the port. It has the usual Otaru seafood bowls, but the grilled shellfish are the best thing on the menu. When I went, surf clams and scallops were in season and the staff recommended them, so ask what is good that day.
What I ate
The herring rice bowl set: the sweet-glazed herring and the rice are a perfect match, and the salted squid and scallop miso soup on the side were excellent.
The grilled surf clam (the photo at the top) was hot and delicious straight off the grill.
The scallop, grilled with butter, was perfect.
The menu is long: grilled seafood, herring dishes and rice bowls.
Shukutsu
Shukutsu is about 5 km from central Otaru. Besides Aotsuka Shokudo there are the Shukutsu Panorama Observatory, on a hill about 70 m above the Sea of Japan, and the Otaru Aquarium.
Hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00–19:00 (last order 18:00); hours may change in winter, so call ahead |
| Closed | Irregular |
| Parking | Free, 10–20 cars; the Otaru Aquarium car park nearby holds about 1,000 |
| Phone | 0134-22-8034 |
See the official site (in Japanese).
How to get there
From Sapporo: about 40 minutes on the Sapporo-Otaru Expressway to Otaru IC (Kinzan PA on the way has a convenience store and toilets).
From New Chitose Airport: about an hour and a quarter. From central Otaru, it is about 10 minutes to Shukutsu.
Near Aotsuka Shokudo
Shukutsu Panorama Observatory: A Drive-Up View of the Sea in OtaruA local's guide to the Shukutsu Panorama Observatory near the Otaru Aquarium: the view of the Takashima cape and the Sea of Japan, parking at the top, Aotsuka Shokudo for seafood, and how to get there from Sapporo.
Otaru Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: A Local's Route and Where to ParkDriving to Otaru from Sapporo? A local's one-day route through Yoichi, Shukutsu, the canal and Mt. Tengu, with drive times, tolls and where to park near Otaru Canal.
FAQ about Aotsuka Shokudo
Q1. What should I order?
Grilled shellfish (ask what is in season) or the herring rice bowl set.
Q2. When is it open?
10:00 to 19:00 (last order 18:00); closures are irregular.
Q3. Is there parking?
Yes, for 10–20 cars, with the aquarium car park nearby.