The form and function of a port are a part of a city, but, in addition, these factors exert a significant influence on other parts of a city. In this study of the Port of Otaru, Hokkaido, the influence of these factors will be examined as an example of the growth process of a port and a city.
The growth process of the Port of Otaru can divided into three stages. The features of each stage can be summarized as follows:
1) The Old City was situated in the southern part of Otaru at the begining of the Meiji era. The city, then, expanded into the northern part of Otaru in response to the construction of a port.
2) The institutions of the port concentrated in the northern part of it. Then, the expansion of the city occurred towards the foot of the mountains. The core of the city was established in the Ironai district which is the center of the present port.
3) After World War II, the Port of Otaru lost its most important market, Sakhalin, which resulted in a decline in the city activity. The modernization of the port has been advanced since 1950. As a result, cargoes increased to the highest level of the pre-War period. But, as the influence of the City of Sapporo grew stronger, the city activity of Otaru began to wane again.
