Hakodate

Home to Mt. Hakodate, one of the world's three great night views, plus the Western churches and slopes of a treaty port, star-shaped Goryokaku, red-brick warehouses and the seafood morning market.

Hakodate lies at the southwestern tip of Hokkaido on the Oshima Peninsula, facing Aomori on Honshu across the Tsugaru Strait. It opened in 1859 as one of Japan's first ports open to foreign trade, and its Western churches, consulates and red-brick warehouses give it a strongly exotic flavor. It is Hokkaido's oldest city. There are three main areas. The Western district (Mt. Hakodate, the Motomachi slopes and churches, the Former Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, the Bay Area's Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses and the Hakodate Morning Market) is concentrated south of Hakodate Station and is best explored on foot and by streetcar. The Goryokaku area is centered on the star-shaped Western-style fortress and Goryokaku Tower, and was the site where the Hakodate campaign of the Boshin War ended. In the east, Yunokawa Onsen is right next to the airport and is the top choice for lodging. Outside the city you can visit the Trappistine monastery in Hokuto, Onuma Quasi-National Park in Nanae, and, in spring, travel farther to Matsumae Castle for cherry blossoms. The climate is milder than in the rest of Hokkaido, with winter temperatures around −3°C and summer around 22°C. Best seasons: late April to early May for cherry blossoms at Goryokaku and Matsumae; summer is cool, with the Hakodate Port Festival in August; and from December to February the Christmas Fantasy is held around the Kanemori warehouses, when the night view in the snow is at its most romantic. Getting there: Hakodate Airport has domestic and some international flights and is about 20 minutes from the city; the Hokkaido Shinkansen goes to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, where the Hakodate Liner takes about 20 minutes into the city; from Sapporo the JR limited express takes about 3.5–4 hours. In the city, the two streetcar lines and buses are the main options, and you can buy a one-day streetcar pass. We suggest 2 days: the Western district and the Mt. Hakodate night view on day one; the morning market, Goryokaku and Yunokawa Onsen on day two, plus a half day at Onuma. Note: the Mt. Hakodate ropeway has long lines at night and the summit is windy, so dress warmly in winter; the Motomachi slopes are icy in winter, so wear non-slip shoes.

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