[Hachimanzaka Slope Travel Guide] Enjoy Hakodate’s Stunning Views and International Vibe

When you think of Hachimanzaka, the view from the top is the biggest highlight.
There are 19 historic slopes around Hachimanzaka, but this one offers the most beautiful view of the sea.
From the top, the scenery opens into a road that runs straight toward the blue sea and sky.
With green street trees adding color to the slope, it’s a truly refreshing view.
When you visit Hachimanzaka, be sure to take in the view from the top.
After sunset, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Hakodate’s romantic nightscape.
It’s also recommended to visit both during the day and at night to enjoy each side of its charm.

In winter, you can enjoy the sparkling illuminations at Hachimanzaka during the Hakodate Winter Festival.
The crisp daytime view transforms as lights line the slope leading down to the sea, creating a magical scene.
During the Hakodate Winter Festival, illuminations also light up other spots like Nijukkenzaka and Kaiko-dori, beautifully coloring Hakodate’s international-style streets in winter.
After taking in Hachimanzaka’s stunning views, try an evening walk around Hakodate.
Since the Hakodate Winter Festival schedule varies each year, check the dates on the official website.

The classic view of Hachimanzaka is from the top, but it’s also beautiful from the bottom.
Looking up from below, you’ll see Mt. Hakodate rising beyond the stone pavement and tree-lined road, creating an impressive view.
From the bottom, you can take a closer look at the details of Hachimanzaka and also enjoy the view of Mt. Hakodate, so be sure to experience it from below as well.
If you have time, visit Mt. Hakodate too, another famous viewpoint.
From Mt. Hakodate, with an elevation of 1,096 ft (334 m), you can take in panoramic views of Hakodate’s cityscape.
The spectacular scenery created by Hakodate’s unique landform is so beautiful it was featured in the Michelin Green Guide.

The former British Consulate was built in 1859, the year Hakodate opened as an international trade port.
After several fires and rebuilds, the current building was completed in 1913 and is now open to the public as the Port Opening Memorial Hall.
In 2009, marking 150 years since the port opened, the exhibits were renewed, and it became a symbol of Hakodate as a port city.
The interior focuses on exhibition rooms and the Port Opening Museum, and the exhibition rooms recreate scenes from the consulate at the time.

Motomachi Catholic Church was rebuilt in 1910 from a structure originally built when the French missionary Mermet de Cachon came to Hakodate in 1859.
It adopts a 12th-century Gothic architectural style and features a pointed bell tower rising to a height of 108 ft (33 m).
It has one of the oldest histories among Catholic churches in Japan, alongside those built in Yokohama and Nagasaki.

The Hakodate Community Design Center features a distinctive dome-shaped roof and is designated as one of Hakodate’s buildings for landscape formation.
Used since 1923, the building underwent major renovations and was refreshed with a design modeled after the former Marui Imai drapery store Hakodate branch of that era.
Inside, the oldest manual elevator in the Tohoku region and north is preserved from its department store days, and depending on availability, you can ride it or take photos.
If you’d like to ride, speak with a staff member.

Standing out beautifully in a residential neighborhood, the Hakodate Orthodox Church is part of the Japanese Orthodox Church, rooted in Russian Orthodoxy.
The crosses lined up on the roof and upper part of the building are Russian crosses, with two horizontal bars and one diagonal bar, rather than a standard cross.
Below them are cupolas (domes), a distinctive decorative feature seen in Orthodox church buildings.
With arched windows and hemispherical roofs, it’s full of the appeal of Eastern Orthodox architecture.

The year after the signboards enforcing the ban on Christianity were removed, in 1874, the British priest Rev. Dening arrived in Hakodate.
He founded Hakodate St. John’s Church primarily as a starting point for missionary work in Hokkaido as an Anglican church.
The current sanctuary is the fifth church building rebuilt after repeated major fires in Hakodate, and it was completed in 1979 as a cross-shaped church with the wish that God’s blessings would spread throughout the world. In 2006, a rectory was also completed next door.

Founded in 1987, this is the first location of a popular burger chain that now has 17 shops, mainly in Hakodate.
Along with classics like hamburger patties, it offers over 10 kinds of unique original burgers, including ones filled with jingisukan (grilled mutton).
Focused on ingredients from southern Hokkaido and Hokkaido, during the best seasons, 80% are locally sourced. Since each burger is made after you order, you can enjoy a just-made taste: hot and juicy meat patties and crisp, fresh vegetables.

A long-established Western-style restaurant located halfway up Nijukkenzaka, one of Hakodate’s well-known slopes.
Founded in 1879 as a Russian cuisine and bread shop, Gotoken later became a Western restaurant, carrying its history and traditional flavors to this day.
The menu is diverse, with casual à la carte dishes, Western set meals, and full-course Russian and French cuisine.
Most famously, Gotoken’s signature curry menu—especially its British-style curry made from a Taisho-era recipe—has remained highly popular from the past to the present.
With rich bouillon flavor and perfectly balanced spices, it’s a one-of-a-kind dish you won’t find elsewhere.

A local convenience store chain founded in 1958, with 13 locations in Hakodate and nearby areas.
Stocked with plenty of food and drinks like bento, beverages, and bread, it has long been loved by locals under the nickname “Hasesto.”
A must-try is the “Yakitori Bento,” a hugely popular item since its release in 1978: rice topped with a layer of nori seaweed and skewers of grilled “yakitori.”
Despite the name, in Hakodate it’s made with pork, not chicken.
As it grills, red wine is sprayed on to tenderize the meat and mellow the flavor—one of many unique touches.

La Vista Hakodate Bay is a hotel inspired by Taisho-era romance, fitting for international-feeling Hakodate.
From the interior spaces to the guest rooms, it features classic design touches that create an elegant, calm atmosphere well suited to the city.
At La Vista Hakodate Bay, breakfast is one of the can’t-miss highlights.
Its breakfast, ranked No. 1 in Hokkaido for seven consecutive years in reviews, lets you fully enjoy Hokkaido’s sea and mountain flavors, with all-you-can-top seafood bowls featuring Hokkaido ikura (salmon roe) and live-grilled seafood and vegetables.

A 435-room city hotel with one of the largest banquet halls in the Hakodate area, plus three restaurants and a modern tea lounge.
At the natural hot spring observation bath “Shiomi no Yu” on the 13th floor of the main building, you can relax while enjoying panoramic views of Hakodate Port through large windows.
Its breakfast buffet featuring plenty of Hokkaido ingredients is also well regarded.

A hot spring resort in Yunokawa Onsen, one of Hokkaido’s three major hot spring areas.
On the rooftop floor, it features an infinity open-air bath with a seamless view of the Tsugaru Strait and the sky, with a relaxing sense of openness as if the water connects to the sea.
At night, the moon floating over the Tsugaru Strait and the lights of fishing boats—the origin of the hotel name “Umi to Akari”—spread out right before your eyes.