It was built in 1927 with a lovely hat-like roof on top of a steel fire watchtower

In my personal opinion, places that once prospered but have since fallen into decline are more likely to retain their old things. It is rare for expensive and luxurious things to be built in places that have never prospered, and in places that have continued to prosper since ancient times, the old things have often been updated and have not remained. In Tokyo, where the shogunate was established in the Edo period (1603-1867) and remained the capital after the Meiji Restoration, there are many skyscrapers, but not many reminders of the Edo period remain because of the town's renewal.

In this light, Otaru, the sea gateway to Sapporo, which became the main city after the Meiji Restoration, retains many old things. Before World War II, Otaru enjoyed prosperity as the central city of Hokkaido's economy with financial institutions, shipping companies, and trading companies, but when Sapporo became the main city of Hokkaido after the war, Otaru went into decline. As a result, old things remain without being updated.

The steel fire watchtower in the photo was built in 1927, so it has been watching over Otaru for nearly 100 years. The old structure is already in disrepair. It is no longer in use, but there are efforts being made to preserve and repair it. It is a humble structure, but we hope that it will be preserved for future generations.

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