Continued walking down the length of the canal and saw a rickshaw guy. Had a brief chat with him, and he told me about the places of interest and recommendations. Didn't sell me anything at all, but I like his friendliness and enquired about a ride. It cost ¥3000 for the cheapest option, a 12-minute ride. I took it up without hesitation.
These rickshaw dudes are super hardy and weather resistant. My rickshaw puller, Yoshida, hails from Asahikawa, where temperates could go as low as negative 30 degrees Celsius he said. Today, despite the constant snow and reading of negative 6 degrees Celsius, it was "very warm" according to him.
Yoshida's service is excellent, first securing me with two layers of blanket followed by a wind guard. His spoken English is above average and I learnt a bit about Otaru's history.
He also stopped at numerous points along the route and assisted me for pictures. A dishonest guy would probably just rush through the ride without stopping.
Notice how he isn't wearing any head dress at all? I asked him if he was alright, and he replied that all rickshaw pullers are "very strong". The 12-minute ride ended shortly, and along with the recipient, I received a discount coupon for my next usage, with a 3-year expiry.