Westernisation of Hakodate

Between the Hakodate Harbour to the west and the Tsugaru Strait to the east, Hakodate is the southern gateway to Hokkaido. With a population of over 240,000, it is the third largest city of the island. From Aomori in Tohoku to Hakodate in Hokkaido, one of the fastest and easiest ways to reach Hakodate is taking the less-than-two-hour Jōban Line operated from JR East.

Along with Shimoda, Hakodate was one of two designated ports to be opened to American ships, under the Treaty of Kanagawa of 1854, between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Commodore Matthew Perry from the US. Coupled with Yokohama and Nagasaki, Hakodate was opened up to international trade in 1859, making it one of the first foreign communities in Japan.

Several historic buildings are scattered around the hillside of Suehiro-cho among modern neighbourhoods: the Old English Consulate built in 1913; the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward built in 1910, awash in blues and yellows; and the Orthodox Church built in 1916, featuring distinctive copper domes and spires. Don’t miss the Kanemori Warehouse in the southern end.

Based on the work of French architect Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban, Tokugawa Shogunate constructed the Goryokaku in 1866, to protect Hakodate and the Tsugaru Strait from a possible Russian invasion. This Western-style five-sided fortress once became the headquarters of the Republic of Ezo for five months, until the Meiji government won back in the Battle of Hakodate.

The exploration of this intriguing city is unstoppable. Hakodate owns one of the three major night views of Japan, along Nagasaki and Kobe. Overlook the city from atop Mt Hakodate which is at the 334m tip of the peninsula. Head to the top for sunset or after dark to see the lit-up peninsula, it resembled the shape of Hokkaido, against the pitch-black waters of Hakodate Bay.