Is Otaru safe? Japan travel risk
Is Otaru safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Otaru scores 31/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Japan Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 15 May 2025); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Otaru scores 31/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Japan (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Otaru: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals.
Driven by: natural hazards (72/100) and health and medical access (29/100).
A score of 31 is higher than the scores of 34% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Japan travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Positioned at 43.1833° N, 141.0000° E in Hokkaidō, Otaru features an altitude of 30 m. The settlement is located 842.7 km S from Tokyo.
Hokkaidō
43.1833° N, 141.0000° E
30 m
Asia/Tokyo
112,452
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in Japan
Climate by Month
Hottest: August (25 °C avg high); Wettest: September (174 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -3° | -2° | 2° | 9° | 15° | 20° | 24° | 25° | 21° | 14° | 6° | -0° |
| Low °C | -10° | -9° | -5° | 1° | 6° | 12° | 18° | 19° | 15° | 8° | 1° | -6° |
| Rain mm | 56 | 58 | 76 | 87 | 102 | 110 | 125 | 158 | 174 | 122 | 91 | 64 |
Normals: Sapporo (31.8 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Most earthquake events within 100 km of Otaru happened in March and June (2 of 2 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
2 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M6.2 on 11 Jun 2023 (104 km away) — USGS details
- Most recent: M5.9 on 9 Mar 2026 (134 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Japan travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Japan entry requirements.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
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