Discover Hakodate

A five-pointed star-shaped fortress, views of a mountain, strait, and mountain range, and a morning market with seafood give Hakodate a variety of travel highlights. Goryokaku Fort offers a historical focus, Goryokaku Tower adds views of the landscape, and the market by the station showcases produce and local cuisine. When searching for a vacation rental, start by asking yourself: Which of these experiences would you like to shape your days?

Goryokaku: Fortress and Park History

Goryokaku Fort is a five-pointed star-shaped fortress in central Hakodate. It was completed in 1864 and was Japan’s first Western-style fortification. Its shape and date offer two concrete ways to approach the site: you can view it as a striking geometric structure while also exploring its historical context. The grounds were converted into a public park and opened to visitors in 1914. Its development can therefore be understood in two stages: after the fortification was completed came the conversion of the grounds and their opening to the public. The dates help distinguish the history of the fortress from that of the park.

Views from Goryokaku Tower

The observation decks of Goryokaku Tower, at heights of 86 and 90 meters, offer good views of Mount Hakodate, the Tsugaru Strait, and the Yokotsu Mountains to the north. The two heights provide specific vantage points; the landmarks in view include a mountain, a strait, and a mountain range. This means the view extends beyond a single type of landscape. For trip planning, this focus differs from the history of the fortress: here, the emphasis is on the views and the surrounding landscape.

Explore the Historic Downtown by Streetcar

The restored “Hakodate Haikara Go,” a streetcar about 100 years old, is used to explore the historic downtown. A ride on this historic streetcar adds another way to discover Hakodate’s history to the themes of the fortress and its views. If you plan to take this ride, check the operating schedule: operating days and weather-related suspensions may change.

Morning Market and Seafood Donburi

The morning market by Hakodate Station sells seafood and other produce. Restaurants around the market serve seafood donburi rice bowls as a local specialty. The market and restaurants therefore have different roles: the market offers produce, while the donburi specialty is part of the meals served around it. If you’re interested in local cuisine, you can take this distinction into account when planning. Individual vendors’ offerings may change; the morning market remains a place to find seafood and other products sold in Hakodate.

Which experiences would you like to guide your choice of accommodation?

If you’re planning a trip with varied interests, you can approach your choice systematically: decide whether history, views, the historic downtown, or the market and cuisine should take priority. The experiences described have different locations: the fort is in central Hakodate, the morning market is by the station, and the streetcar runs through the historic downtown. Check the routes to your personal highlights based on the address you choose.

Discover more destinations: Shinhidaka, Fukuyama, Erimo, Mombetsu, Sorachi District, Iwamizawa, Shibetsu, Kamikawa.

Return to the regional travel overview: Hokkaido.