Tourist information

A tourist spot often referred to as a symbol of Hakodate.
You can enjoy a panoramic view of the unique topography surrounded by the sea on both sides.
The blue sea and the cityscape appear so close you could almost touch them.

I especially recommend the night view sparkling in the crisp air of autumn and winter.
It is considered one of the "world's three greatest night views," along with Hong Kong and Naples.

The most convenient way to reach the summit is by cable car or taxi.
Please note that there are traffic restrictions for private cars and rental cars depending on the season and time of day.

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The mountaintop is very windy, so be sure to dress warmly even outside of winter.

Along with the night view from Mt Hakodate, this is a popular spot often introduced as one of Hakodate's best viewpoints.
A beautiful slope that descends straight down towards the sea,
You can see the "Seikan Ferry Memorial Museum Mashu Maru," which is moored and on display in the harbor, directly in front of you.

In winter, the "Hakodate Illumination" beautifully lights up the street trees and cobblestone streets.

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It's also famous as a filming location for movies and commercials.

One of the most representative examples of Western-style architecture that creates an exotic townscape with a foreign atmosphere is Hakodate Orthodox Church.
In addition to its white walls and green roof, it is also famous for the bell that produces a beautiful sound.
It is affectionately known as "Gangan-ji" by the local residents.
The sound of the bell has been recognized as one of "Japan's 100 Soundscapes."

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The sound of the bell can be heard at 5:00 PM on Saturdays and on Sunday mornings.

Built in 1913, it was used as a consulate until 1934.
It was renovated in 1992 and opened to the public as the Port Opening Memorial Hall.
You can learn about the history of Hakodate from the arrival of Commodore Perry to the opening of Hakodate in an enjoyable way.

On the first floor, you can enjoy authentic British tea and baked goods in the tearoom.

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The beautiful rose garden in the courtyard is at its best from late June to early August.

Tachimachi Cape, located at the leftmost point of Mt Hakodate as seen from the hotel,
This location boasts towering cliffs surrounded by the sea, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Tsugaru Strait.

In the Edo period, fortifications were used to monitor the passage of foreign ships in order to guard the northern region.
During the Meiji era, a fortress was built to defend the rear of Hakodate Fortress.

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There is a park here that features the Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa), a flower representative of Hokkaido.

This tourist spot retains the atmosphere of Hakodate, which opened as Japan's first international trading port.
The retro brick building is divided into themed sections: "Hakodate History Plaza," "Kanemori Hall," "Kanemori Western Goods Museum," and "BAY Hakodate."
The street is lined with cafes, restaurants, select shops selling accessories and miscellaneous goods, and popular local sweets shops.

Various events are held throughout the year, depending on the season.
You can enjoy shopping and dining there, making it a fun place to spend the whole day.

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In winter, the "Hakodate Christmas Fantasy" event is also held.

This is Hakodate's first full-fledged bay cruise.
The concept is "Encounters by the sea, gatherings by the sea, and a prime spot to enjoy the ocean."

From mid-April to early December, the boat takes you on a 30-minute daytime tour around Hakodate Port, offering views of the bay area and Tsugaru Strait from the sea.
From late April to October, they also operate elegant night cruises lasting approximately 60 minutes.

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Because the ride is very smooth, even those prone to seasickness can relax.

This hamburger shop is known as a soul food and local specialty for the people of Hakodate.
While the restaurant is famous for its "Chinese Chicken Burger" thanks to the influence of GLAY, you can enjoy a variety of other dishes such as curry, omurice, and yakisoba.

The photo shows the Bay Area flagship store, which has a flashy interior and exterior.
In front of the Red Brick Warehouse, there is also the Marina Suehiro store, which has a more relaxed atmosphere.

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Each store has its own unique offerings, such as the "Squid Dance Burger" available only at the Bay Area flagship store.

Hakodate Morning Market, with its rows of approximately 250 shops,
A culinary wonderland where all kinds of flavors from Hakodate come together, including seafood, vegetables, fruits, sweets, and delicacies.

Besides the streets lined with street-level shops, facilities such as "Donburi Yokocho Market," "Ekini Market," and "Hakodate Morning Market Plaza" are also unique.
If you explore every nook and cranny, you're sure to find your favorite shop.

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"Live squid fishing ponds," where you can have the squid you catch prepared as sashimi on the spot, are becoming popular!

This star-shaped castle was the last stronghold for the former shogunate forces, led by Enomoto Takeaki and Hijikata Toshizo, during the Battle of Hakodate, the final battle of the Boshin War.

The outer circumference of the moat is 1800m.
In summer, it's green; in autumn, it's red and yellow; in winter, it's white; and around the Golden Week holidays in May, it turns cherry blossom pink—you can enjoy beautiful scenery throughout the four seasons.
Besides cherry blossoms, the area also boasts beautiful wisteria, azaleas, and water lilies, so take a relaxing stroll and enjoy the scenery.
Winter is also recommended, as the area around the moat is illuminated with lights.

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Hakodate residents are familiar with it through jogging and walking.

This is a landmark of Hakodate, offering a panoramic view of Goryokaku, a national special historical site.
To commemorate the company's 40th anniversary, construction began on rebuilding, and the current tower, completed in 2006, stands at a height of 107 meters.
From the observation deck, you can now see the entire star shape of Goryokaku.

In addition to exhibits where you can learn about the history of Goryokaku, there are also plenty of gift shops and cafes.

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There are also tower-exclusive goods featuring Hijikata Toshizo!

An office of the Edo shogunate established as a base for defending the northern frontier.

At the end of the Edo period, it was moved from the current Motomachi Park to Goryokaku.
Although it was dismantled after the Battle of Hakodate, in 2010, one-third of the original building was restored using as many of the original materials and construction methods as possible, and the interior is now open to the public.

This space evokes the atmosphere of the late Edo period and the Meiji Restoration.

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You can travel back in time to the end of the Edo period!

Opened in 1986, it is the fourth prefectural art museum established in Hokkaido.

In addition to permanently exhibiting artworks by artists closely associated with the southern Hokkaido region,
Focusing on calligraphy and Oriental art, and contemporary art related to characters and symbols, this museum collects and exhibits outstanding works from the modern era onward.
The collection also features a rich selection of works by Kaneko Ōtei, one of Japan's leading calligraphers.

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After strolling through Goryokaku Park, relax at the museum's cafe.

A park established for educational purposes, with the aim of preventing traffic accidents.
In addition to being used by local residents, it is also used for training programs for school trips from within and outside Hokkaido.

The main attraction is a 500m go-kart track, complete with traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, various signs, and overpasses.
You can learn traffic rules while having fun.
The park is open from April 1st to the end of October.

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Go-karts are available for a very reasonable price of 60 yen per lap.

Located right next to our hotel, this facility boasts a large greenhouse filled with rare tropical flowers and trees!
You can enjoy a tropical feeling even in winter.
Next to the greenhouse, there is a water play area and playground equipment, which are bustling with children during the summer.

Actually, one of the unexpected local specialties here is Saruyama Onsen.
From December through the Golden Week holidays in May, visitors can enjoy watching these talented and charming monkeys bathing together in the hot springs, a sight that has become a winter tradition.

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Our Lagoon Wing also has rooms with not just ocean views, but "monkey views"!

This park features a statue commemorating Ishikawa Takuboku, a Meiji-era poet who loved Hakodate.
The Takuboku statue stands with the coast, the sea, and Mt Hakodate in the background, making it a superb viewpoint.
You can also go down to the beach and take a stroll along the waterline.

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There's a camera stand where you can take a commemorative photo with Takuboku.

Japan's first contemplative monastery for women.
The brick exterior walls and semi-circular arched windows create an impressive blend of Gothic and Romanesque design.

Here, the nuns live a communal life based on three pillars of their daily routine: prayer, work, and sacred reading.
The madeleine cakes and cookies they produce are popular souvenirs for visitors to the convent.

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Visitors can tour the front yard and the museum located next to the shop.

Located on a hill near Yunokawa Onsen resort area,
This park includes "Kōsetsuen," a full-fledged landscape garden that was created in the mid-Meiji period as a villa for one of the city's leading wealthy merchants.

The garden features a blend of Japanese and Western styles, including a shoin-style garden pavilion, a stream, and a brick greenhouse.
In autumn, it attracts many visitors as a famous spot for viewing autumn foliage.

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In the autumn, the "Hakodate MOMI-G Festa" event is held, where the autumn leaves are illuminated.

"Around 1453, a woodcutter discovered a spring,
When I was injured, I remembered this hot spring and used the hot springs to soothe the pain in my arm.
The legend says that in gratitude, a statue of Yakushi Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha) was made and a small shrine was built to enshrine it, and this is said to be the origin of Yukura Shrine and the beginning of Yunokawa Onsen).

It is still cherished today as the guardian Yunokawa Onsen.

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After your visit, please stroke the sacred rabbit statue to enjoy the blessings of the great deity.

Hakodate in the summer is packed with exciting events.
The grand finale to that summer is the Yunokawa Onsen Fireworks Festival, the biggest event Yunokawa Onsen, which takes place sometime after the Obon festival.
A ceremony was held to dedicate the hot spring water to the Yukura Shrine, which is revered as the guardian deity of Yunokawa Onsen.
We'll be setting off fireworks at night.

The fireworks launched right in front of our hotel are truly spectacular.
Food stalls and other vendors will appear, creating a lively atmosphere that marks the end of summer.

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There are also unique squid-shaped fireworks!
The performance, accompanied by fishing lights, is also a highlight.

In Hakodate, the local way to enjoy cherry blossoms is to have a Genghis Khan barbecue with family and friends at Goryokaku Park or Hakodate Park.
Every year, the cherry blossoms bloom in late April, reaching their peak during the Golden Week holidays in May.

Enjoying Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) while admiring the illuminated cherry blossoms is a truly special experience.
They also offer a service (reservation required) that includes the rental of ingredients and a portable stove.

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The Goryokaku Festival is held when the cherry blossoms begin to fall.
A parade commemorating the Meiji Restoration and a Hijikata Toshizo contest will also be held.

Set against the backdrop of Goryokaku, this is Japan's largest-scale outdoor theater production, entirely created by citizen volunteers, from production to casting.

The turbulent history of Hakodate area is vividly portrayed through music, light, and drama.
The appeal lies in the sheer scale of the production, incorporating the moats and embankments of Goryokaku Fortress into the staging, and the opportunity to witness the powerful sword fighting up close.

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The battles fought by Hijikata Toshizo and the other samurai are breathtaking!

As a major summer event in Hakodate, it begins with a fireworks display on the first day,
Events such as the "Wasshoi Hakodate (Parade)" and the "Squid Dance Competition" will be held, involving both locals and tourists and creating a lively atmosphere.

During the event, various stalls and beer gardens will appear throughout the city.
In front of Hakodate Ekimae , the decorated streetcar and the Hakodate Haikara-go will also make an appearance, adding to the festive atmosphere of the parade.

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The "Squid Dance," with its simple choreography that you can learn quickly, is open to participants on the day of the event.

Folk art groups and artists from around the world visit Hakodate.
This outdoor festival features exciting performances, primarily on special stages set up in Motomachi Park and in front of Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward.

The food selection is also excellent, with popular restaurants from Hakodate and booths from around the world lined up in abundance.
You can enjoy the stage while savoring a variety of international cuisine.

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Enjoy international cuisine and top-notch performances against the backdrop of a stunning night view.

The venues will be "Hakodate (Daimon) Green Plaza" near JR Hakodate Station and "Hakodate Morning Market First Parking Lot".
A grand collection of gourmet food from not only Hakodate but also all over Japan and around the world.
This is Hakodate's largest food event, featuring rows and rows of tents offering local gourmet food.
In particular, we recommend the "Hakodate Gourmet Circus Original Menu," which uses local ingredients.

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You can expect long lines at popular restaurants, but you can enjoy local performing arts and stage shows while you wait.

Illuminations adorn the street trees along "Hachimanzaka" and "Nijukken-zaka" at the foot of Mt Hakodate, and along "Kaiko-dori," which connects Hakodate Station and the bay area.
The winter cityscape transforms into a corridor of light.

Among the most popular views is the view of the harbor from the top of "Hachimanzaka" slope.
The combination of the illuminated Mashu Maru visible in the foreground makes for a picturesque scene.

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Hakodate, which receives relatively little snow compared to other parts of Hokkaido, is also recommended for winter sightseeing, as its cityscape is enchanting.

A winter food event where you can fully enjoy the culinary delights of Hakodate and southern Hokkaido.
Local restaurants and manufacturers gather at "Hakodate Arena," which is close to our hotel, to sell their food and products.

Theme booths showcasing the unique culinary features of Hakodate (e.g., seafood rice bowls, local hot pots),
The event will feature a market selling ingredients and sweets, as well as booths run by students learning cooking and confectionery.

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Hakodate is a vibrant city for food lovers, even in winter!

This fireworks display offers a different kind of spectacle than summer fireworks, allowing you to experience the chill of winter.
The launch site is off the coast of Toyokawa Wharf in the bay area.
The clear winter air makes the fireworks appear especially vibrant.

At the viewing area set up at Toyokawa Wharf, you can enjoy the spectacular fireworks that seem to rain down from above.
The combination of snowy scenery and fireworks is a sight unique to Hakodate in winter.

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This is the coldest time of year, so be sure to take thorough precautions against the cold.