Enjoy Hakodate’s History and Nature! A Travel Guide to Goryokaku Park

Goryokaku Park is also well known for cherry blossoms, and during peak season, Approx. 1,500 Somei Yoshino trees tint the park pink.
You can enjoy them on a leisurely stroll, or view the blossoms while touring the moat in a rowboat.
Don’t miss the dreamlike cherry blossoms illuminated at night.
Cherry blossom season at Goryokaku Park comes later than in many parts of Japan, typically from late April to early May.
Because it sometimes overlaps with Golden Week, many visitors come each year to enjoy hanami.

Autumn brings color to the maples and azaleas, and the park takes on warm reds and oranges.
When you think of fall leaves, you might imagine vivid crimson and bright yellow, but Goryokaku Park’s foliage tends to be more subdued, with calmer tones.
From reflections on the moat to the combination of fall leaves and Hakodate’s symbol, Goryokaku Tower, you’ll find a variety of foliage views throughout the park.
Take a walk and see if you can find your favorite spot.

From December through the end of February, Goryokaku Park hosts the Goryo-boshi no Yume (Hoshi no Yume) Illumination each year.
Approx. 2,000 lights are installed around the moat, outlining the star shape in glowing points of light.
From Goryokaku Tower next door, you can see the star-shaped illumination floating in the darkness.
Stroll the pedestrian pathway around the outside of the moat and enjoy the enchanting space created by falling snow and light.

At the center of Goryokaku sits the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office (Hakodate Bugyosho).
During the Battle of Hakodate—the final battle of the Boshin War—it served as a base for the former shogunate forces.
Although it was dismantled in 1871, one-third of the building was reconstructed on the same site, using the same design, construction methods, and dimensions.
The interior is also open to visitors, offering a look at late-Edo architecture and lavish materials rarely used in modern construction.
You can also learn about the history of Goryokaku and the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office through exhibits and videos.
If you’re into the late Edo period, this is a must-visit spot.

After walking the grounds, it’s worth stepping into Goryokaku Tower next door, too.
From the 90-meter-high observation deck, you can take in the park’s signature star-shaped pentagon in one sweeping view.
It has a different appeal than the scenery you’ll see at ground level—without seeing the full layout from above, it’s hard to say you’ve truly experienced Goryokaku Park.
Goryokaku Tower also has a restaurant, making it a great place to take a break after exploring.

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse is a Hakodate Bay Area landmark made up of four warehouses.
With rows of red-brick buildings and a romantic, atmospheric vibe, it’s easy to see why it’s popular not only with locals and tourists but also with couples.
The four warehouses are called BAY Hakodate, Kanemori Western Goods Museum, Hakodate History Plaza, and Kanemori Hall—each with its own personality.

Hachimanzaka is named after Hakodate Hachimangu Shrine, which once stood at the top of the hill.
A beautiful stone-paved road runs straight toward the sea, lined on both sides with neatly maintained street trees, and at the end you can look out over Hakodate Bay along with the moored, permanently displayed Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Mashu-maru.

The Mt. Hakodate Ropeway features a large gondola that can carry up to 125 passengers, built using technology from Japan and abroad.
It connects the foot of Mt. Hakodate with the summit, reaching the top in Approx. 3 minutes at a speed of 7 meters per second.
The current gondola is the fifth generation; the original could carry only 30 passengers, but it has been improved over time to accommodate larger groups.

A Japanese restaurant located on the second floor of Goryokaku Tower, one of Hakodate’s landmarks.
It’s a popular spot loved by locals as well, where you can enjoy seafood landed at Hakodate Port, known as an excellent fishing port.
One of the fun points is that the contents of the “recommended menu” are decided based on what’s available that day.
Ingredients beyond seafood are also generously sourced locally, letting you savor Hakodate’s seasonal flavors.

Mt. Hakodate is known for its views shaped by the area’s unique geography-surrounded by the sea on both sides-and for night scenery that sparkles in the clear northern air.
At the restaurant just below the summit observatory, you can relax and enjoy a meal while taking in the view spreading beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sabo Hishii is a cafe that uses an earthen storehouse (dozo) originally built and remodeled as a pawnshop in 1905.
It survived the Great Hakodate Fire of 1934, and its remaining black plaster exterior walls are especially distinctive.
Spend some time here while reflecting on a place loved by many poets, tanka poets, and literary figures-said to have ties as well to Setsuko, the wife of poet Takuboku Ishikawa, who once lived in Hakodate.