Hakodate 函館
Historic port city
Historical Hakodate sits at the southern tip of Hokkaidō and is known throughout Japan for the city views at night from atop Mt Hakodate, accessed by ropeway.
Hakodate was one of the first cities opened to international trade in 1854 after Japan's Edo Period era of isolation, and has notable foreign influences such as a Western-style residential district that includes a Russian Orthodox Church, the Old British Consulate and the Chinese Memorial Hall.
Fort Goryōkaku is a massive, star-shaped, Western-style fortress built to defend the city - that is now one of Hokkaidō’s top cherry viewing spots.
The waterfront area with its red brick warehouses features restaurants, shops and sightseeing cruise boats.
The city can be reached by shinkansen via the 54km Seikan Tunnel that links Hokkaidō with Honshū. The shinkansen presently runs as far as Hakodate, but the link to Sapporo should be open by 2031.