Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [455]
Hot Web cafe (Map; 26-3591; www.hotweb.or.jp/cafe/shop.html in Japanese; 10am-8pm Wed-Mon; per hr incl 1 drink ¥400) Internet access; head straight out from the station (keep going past WAKO, but before Lotteria).
Sights
MOTOMACHI DISTRICT
On Mt Hakodate’s lower slopes, this area is home to the lion’s share of 19th-century sites, and commands stunning panoramic views of the bay. All of the following sights are located in close proximity to one another, and are easily reached on foot.
There’s a beautiful old Russian Orthodox Church (Map; 23-7387; 3-13 Motomachi; admission ¥200; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 1-4pm Sun) that dates from 1916, and is adorned with distinctive copper domes and spires.
Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples (Map; 22-4128; 21-7 Suehiro-chō; admission ¥300; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) is a good place to learn about the Ainu and their material culture. English signs have been added to some exhibits.
The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward (22-1001; 11-13 Motomachi; admission ¥300; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) is an ornate mansion awash in pale blues and yellows that reigns regally over the district. Inside are items of historical interest relating to the city, though the main appeal is the wonderful colonial-style architecture.
English-style tea-time at the Old British Consulate (Map; 27-8159; 33-14 Motomachi; admission ¥300, afternoon tea from ¥550; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) makes a relaxing afternoon that much more enjoyable.
The Foreigners’ Cemetery (Map), an interesting slice of local history, has the graves of sailors, clergy and others who unfortunately died far away from their homelands. Many of the graves have English, Russian or French inscriptions.
To get to Motomachi, take tram 5 from the station and get off at the Suehirō-chō stop, then walk uphill for 10 minutes. Alternatively, get off at the end of the line and walk along the waterfront first, visit the cemetery, then stop at the buildings as you walk uphill to Suehirō-chō.
HAKODATE-YAMA
This small mountain (334m) offers a memorable view of Hakodate, especially at night when the twinkling city lights contrast the dark waters. A ropeway (Map;23-6288; www.334.co.jp/en/index.html; one way/return ¥640/1160; 10am-10pm May-Oct, to 9pm Nov-Apr) whisks you to the top in a few minutes.
Take tram 2 or 5 to the Jūjigai stop, and walk a few minutes uphill to the ropeway platform. Alternatively, a summit-bound bus (¥360, 30 minutes) leaves directly from the station, and stops at several viewing places as it winds to the top. Those wanting to rough it old-style can take the hiking track (from May to late October).
A 10-minute walk from the summit is Tsutsuji-yama car park, a hot date spot at night, but relatively crowd-free by day. At its far end there is an overgrown path that leads to moss-covered walls and buttresses, the ruins of an old fort, Hakodateyama Yōsai. This one is refreshingly deserted, and you can happily clamber around, Indiana Jones–style, among ferns with fronds the size of palm leaves.
YACHIGASHIRA ONSEN
On the southern edge of Hakodate-yama is this enormous hot spring (Map; 22-8371; 20-7 Yachigashira; admission ¥390; 6am-9.30pm, closed every 2nd & 4th Tue), one of Hokkaidō’s oldest, with dark iron-laden water. To get here, take tram 2 to Yachigashira, the final stop. On foot, continue to the first intersection and then turn right – you’ll see the public bathhouse complex on the left shortly after you turn.
GORYŌ-KAKU
Japan’s first Western-style fort (Map;) was built in 1864 in the shape of a five-pointed star (goryō-kaku means ‘five-sided fort’), and was designed to trap attackers in deadly crossfire. Nothing remains of the actual fort structure, but the landscaped grounds and moat are picturesque, and the moss-covered walls are quite fun to scramble upon.
The nearby Hakodate City Museum Annexe (Map; 51-2548; 44-2 Goryōkakumachi; admission ¥100; 9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct, 9am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar) offers a taste of the fort’s history,