Detective in the Bar Otaru Filming Locations | Takashima Fishing Port and Asaichi Shokudo

If you want to visit the Otaru filming locations of the film series Tantei wa Bar ni Iru (Detective in the Bar), the first thing to keep in mind is that "the main setting is Susukino in Sapporo, and Otaru appears in only a few memorable scenes." It is not a series you can tour on a large scale in Otaru alone, but combining the Takashima Fishing Port and Rinyu Morning Market area from the third film with the Otaru Station, port and Hanazono area from the first makes a filming-location course that lets you soak up a very Hokkaido atmosphere in half a day.

How the films relate to Otaru's filming locations

Tantei wa Bar ni Iru is a film series based on Naomi Azuma's "Susukino Detective" novels. The detective, played by Yo Oizumi, and his partner Takada, played by Ryuhei Matsuda, get drawn into cases from their base in Susukino, Sapporo. The first film was released in 2011, the second in 2013 and the third in 2017.

The heart of the series is firmly Sapporo. Because Otaru is not the main setting, it is more realistic to add one to three hours to a Sapporo trip or Otaru sightseeing than to "spend a long time touring every location in Otaru." This article focuses on spots that can be confirmed through the Otaru Film Commission and local media, and separates them by how strong the source is.

Note that we do not show film screenshots or portraits of the cast, for copyright and portrait-rights reasons. We describe the atmosphere of each location using only the local scenery.

If you want to see Otaru's film and anime pilgrimage spots all together, also see the parent article, Otaru Film and Anime Pilgrimage Map.

Takashima Fishing Port | The location that captures the third film's winter Otaru

Takashima Fishing Port is a working fishing port on the north side of central Otaru. It appears on the Otaru Film Commission's location map as the site of a scene in the third film, Tantei wa Bar ni Iru 3, where the detective is cornered in midwinter Otaru. The Otaru Keizai Shimbun also featured Takashima Fishing Port in its article introducing the map.

It is less a place developed for tourists than an everyday port used for fishing. That is exactly why it is a spot where you can easily feel the harsh winter and rough seaside air portrayed in the film. Visit in the snowy season and you will see a "port-town Hokkaido" completely different from Sapporo's Susukino.

However, always keep in mind that this is a working fishing port. Do not enter restricted areas, quays where work is under way, or routes used by fishing industry vehicles. If you take photos, it is safest to stick to exteriors and the surrounding scenery so you do not get in the way of people working.

Access and basic information

Rinyu Morning Market "Asaichi Shokudo" | The food location that appeared as the former Nonnon

The Rinyu Morning Market is a market where you can feel Otaru's morning food culture. The Otaru Film Commission's location map lists the diner then called "Nonnon" as the place where Reiko, played by Atsuko Maeda, eats a seafood bowl in the third film.

Today, the "Nonnon" of the filming days has a new name and new management and operates as "Asaichi Shokudo" inside the Rinyu Morning Market. In other words, rather than "looking for the shop name from the film," it is easier to think of it as "going to Asaichi Shokudo, which took over the former Nonnon's spot."

As you would expect of a morning market, visit in the morning. Opening hours run mainly from early morning to early afternoon, and it is closed on Sundays, with seasonal changes. Check the latest hours before you go. It is a little away from the Otaru Station area, but slotting it in before or after Takashima Fishing Port makes for a neat route.

Access and basic information

Katano diner | Closed, so treated as a "former filming location"

Another spot in the Takashima area that appeared on the Otaru FC location map is the Katano diner. It appeared in the third film as the diner where Monroe, played by Sawa Suzuki, works.

However, as of our research, Katano has closed. Travelers today cannot visit it to eat. For that reason, this article does not strongly recommend it as "a location you can still visit," and instead treats it as a former filming location that was in the Takashima area.

If you visit Takashima Fishing Port, it is enough to understand that "the Otaru part of the third film was concentrated around here." Do not spend a long time photographing in front of the closed shop or get in the way of local people going about their lives.

Otaru Station, the Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal and Hanazono restaurant district | Secondary-source spots from the first film

For the first film, Tantei wa Bar ni Iru, Otaru Station, the Otaru Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal and the Hanazono restaurant district are mentioned in blogs introducing location maps and in travel reviews. However, in our research their sources are not as strong as the third-film spots we could confirm directly on the Otaru FC official page. This article introduces them as "places said to be filming locations."

JR Otaru Station is an easy starting point for an Otaru pilgrimage. The 1934 station building and the glass lamps inside are classic Otaru scenery that even companions who don't know the films can enjoy. In the first film, it is said to appear as part of arriving in Otaru.

The Otaru Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal is the spot introduced as the Otaru Port waiting area. It is about a 10-minute walk from Otaru Station toward the sea. Sightseeing boats run mainly from spring to autumn and are suspended in winter. You can go to see the exterior as a filming location, but if you want to board, check the operating season.

The Hanazono restaurant district lies between Otaru Station and Minami-Otaru Station. Besides being said to be a first-film location, the Hanazono area also appears in the Korean film Moonlit Winter (Yunhui-ege). It has the most atmosphere at night, but it is a working restaurant district, so avoid long photo sessions or noise in front of shops.

The order to follow for a half-day tour

To combine the first-film spots in central Otaru with the third-film Takashima and Temiya area, starting at the morning market in the morning is the most natural.

JR Otaru Station (start) ↓ Bus or car Rinyu Morning Market "Asaichi Shokudo" (breakfast, the former Nonnon) ↓ Bus or car Takashima Fishing Port (the third film's port location) ↓ Back toward Otaru Station Otaru Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal (said to be the first film's port waiting area) ↓ About 10 min on foot JR Otaru Station (first-film spot, starting point of the pilgrimage) ↓ About 5–7 min on foot Hanazono restaurant district (area said to be a first-film spot)

As a rough guide to time, allow 2–3 hours by car or taxi, or half a day combining buses and walking. If you include the morning market, a morning start is essential. If you are coming on a day trip from Sapporo, travel to Otaru in the morning, cover the Takashima and Temiya area before noon, then walk the canal and Hanazono in the afternoon for a comfortable plan.

If you only want a light tour around Otaru Station, the walking course of Otaru Station → Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal → Hanazono restaurant district is plenty. Whether you include the third film's Takashima area changes how heavy the itinerary is.

How to combine Sapporo's Susukino and Otaru

To fully savor the feel of Tantei wa Bar ni Iru, it is natural to think of Sapporo's Susukino and Otaru separately. The main setting of the films is Susukino, and the detective's everyday world is on the Sapporo side. Otaru is a complementary setting that shows another face of Hokkaido: the port, the morning market and the winter sea.

On a two-day, one-night trip, feel the world of the films around Susukino in Sapporo on day one, then travel to Otaru on the morning of day two and visit Takashima Fishing Port, the Rinyu Morning Market and the port area for a good balance of film and sightseeing. JR Sapporo to Otaru takes about 35–45 minutes by rapid train.

If you try to complete the pilgrimage in Otaru alone, the number of spots may feel small. But eat seafood at the morning market, feel the winter air of the port town and step into the night alleys of Hanazono, and you will see a "back side of Hokkaido" different from Susukino. That is where the series' understated charm lies.

What to check before you go

Related reading

Otaru tours for Tantei wa Bar ni Iru are easier to plan when combined with other Otaru filming-location articles.

Access and map

The maps below are for checking locations. On site, give priority to opening hours, access restrictions and winter road conditions.

Check the location of Otaru Station, the starting point for the pilgrimage around the city center.

Check the location of the Rinyu Morning Market. Asaichi Shokudo is the diner that took over the former Nonnon's spot.

Check the location of Takashima Fishing Port. It is a working fishing port, so do not enter work areas.

Check the location of the Otaru Marine Sightseeing Boat terminal. Sightseeing boats run mainly from spring to autumn.

Check the location of the Hanazono restaurant district. Be considerate of shops and residents at night.

COTARU is a rental cycle shop with a café near Otaru Station. Use it as a base before or after your pilgrimage around the city.

FAQ

Here are the points people most often wonder about when touring the Otaru locations of Tantei wa Bar ni Iru.

Can I enjoy a Tantei wa Bar ni Iru location tour in Otaru alone?

Even in Otaru alone, you can tour the third film's Takashima Fishing Port and Rinyu Morning Market area and the first film's Otaru Station, port and Hanazono area in half a day. However, the main setting of the series is Susukino in Sapporo, so it is natural to think of Otaru as a complementary course added to a Sapporo trip.

Which third-film locations in Otaru have strong sources?

The spots confirmed on the Otaru Film Commission's location map are Takashima Fishing Port, the former "Nonnon" inside the Rinyu Morning Market (now Asaichi Shokudo), and the Katano diner. However, Katano has closed, so today it is realistic to center your tour on Takashima Fishing Port and Asaichi Shokudo.

Is Asaichi Shokudo still open?

"Nonnon," the shop's name at the time of filming, now operates as "Asaichi Shokudo" inside the Rinyu Morning Market. It is open mainly from early morning to early afternoon, closed on Sundays, and hours change with the season, so check the latest information before you go.

Can tourists enter Takashima Fishing Port?

You can enjoy the exterior and seaside atmosphere around Takashima Fishing Port, but it is a working fishing port. Do not enter fishing industry work areas or restricted places, and keep photography to a level that does not interfere with work.

Was the fourth film, BYE BYE LOVE Tantei wa Bar ni Iru, also filmed in Otaru?

As of our research, we could not confirm any Otaru filming locations for the fourth film. It is scheduled for release on December 25, 2026, so the surest way is to check the Otaru Film Commission and the official website around the release.

Summary: Otaru is the place to savor "the port-town Detective in the Bar" briefly but deeply

The main setting of the Tantei wa Bar ni Iru series is Susukino in Sapporo. Even so, walking around Otaru's Takashima Fishing Port, Rinyu Morning Market, port and Hanazono area lets you feel the series' understated Hokkaido character and the winter seaside air from a different angle.

There are not many Otaru filming locations. That is exactly why it matters to center your tour on the well-sourced third-film spots, treat closed places as "former filming locations," and not state the first film's secondary-source spots as certain. Slot this half-day course into a two-day, one-night trip combining Sapporo and Otaru, and you can enjoy the world of the films in more depth.