otaru, hokkaido day two

After a massive breakfast we shuttled down to the train and rode a couple stops to Otaru City proper. First we bussed down to the former villa of the Aoyama family, barons of herring fishing from the turn of the century. Lucky for me I am unable to read the Japanese signs that say "No photography", so I took lots of photos.

Herring fishing was obviously good for the Aoyama clan, because they spent a fortune on this house and the details are stunning, from the ceiling beams made of a single piece of timber (no more trees long enough to make such a thing anymore) to the staircase made of rare wood and put together without nails, the sinks carved out of a single block of marble, and the family heirlooms formerly owned by the Shogun.
We bussed back into town and wandered around the historical section, full of old brick warehouses and glass shops. There are also many brick buildings built at the turn of the century, including the old Bank of Japan branch and former post office.
Getting hungry we stumbled through the backstreets until we found Naruto, Otaru's famous fried chicken.