Hakodate

Hakodate, Japan

A low-angle view of the red brick warehouses at Hakodate harbour at sunrise, with a wooden pier and mooring rope in the foreground.

Hakodate combines a harbour of old brick warehouses, a star-shaped fort and a hilltop view that rewards a clear evening.

The place

Hakodate sits at the tip of the Kameda Peninsula on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands, and serves as the capital of Oshima Subprefecture. The city spreads along a narrow sandbar that formed between an old volcanic hill, Mount Hakodate, and the mainland, so the streets run between two bays with the hill rising at one end. Its population is a little over a quarter of a million, which keeps it small enough to cross on foot or by tram in a day, yet it feels more like a port than a provincial town.

The character comes from the harbour. Warehouses in brick and timber line the waterfront, many converted into restaurants and shops, and the older merchant quarter climbs gently up from the water. Winter is long and snowy, so the city has a quieter, more hunkered-down feel from December to March. Summer is the hottest and wettest season, with highs near 30 °C from July to September, though the sea air keeps evenings cooler. Most visitors come for the night view from the hill, the squid and seafood, and the mix of Japanese and Western architecture that has survived the port's long history. Time for wandering without a fixed plan pays off here, since many of the best meals turn up on a side street near the market.

Its story

Hakodate was among the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade, in 1854, under the treaty signed at Kanagawa. That turn made it the most important port in northern Japan for a generation, and a foreign settlement grew up with merchants, consuls and new buildings alongside older Japanese streets. Before that, the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido, had lived around these bays for a long time. The name may come from an Ainu phrase meaning 'shallow fort', although a Japanese reading that points to a building or box is also offered.

The modern town traces back to a manor house built in 1454 by the Kono family in the fishing village of Usukeshi, a name drawn from the Ainu word for bay. Conflict in the area in the years that followed drove the family out for a time, and the district remained a contested frontier where armed merchants controlled trade until the Meiji period brought it firmly into the Japanese state.

The Boshin War left its mark. In 1869 the Hakodate area saw the final battles of the Ezo Republic, the short-lived government set up by former shogunate forces. Its headquarters was the star-shaped fort of Goryokaku, completed in 1864 as Japan's first Western-style fortress. The Great Fire of 1934 is another turning point in the city's history, and the rebuilding that followed explains why today's centre mixes surviving warehouses with later blocks.

What to see

Culture

Hakodate is a port city where Buddhist temples, a long foreign-trade history and modern city life sit close together. Koryu-ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in the region, stands in the Funami-cho district and belongs to the Soto school. It was built in 1633, badly damaged in the Boshin War and moved to its present site in 1879, and its main building dates from 1900. Temple life here is quiet and local, with most worshippers coming from nearby neighbourhoods.

Food is central to daily life. Seafood is eaten at every level, from fresh sushi to home-cooked fish, and the city's fish is the squid, which appears in many forms. Salt ramen is a point of local pride, and people often have a favourite shop they will defend with some seriousness. Each August the Hakodate Port Festival fills the harbour with crowds, floats and music.

Public life is orderly. Queues are normal at popular restaurants and the morning market, and people wait their turn without fuss. Conversation on trains and buses is kept low, and phones are set to silent. Photographs of people at festivals or in the market should be taken only with permission, and small shops often expect a short exchange before a picture is taken.

At Koryu-ji and other temples, keep your voice low, follow any posted rules on photography and leave the main hall free for worshippers.

What to wear

Hakodate sits in Hokkaido, where traditional dress is closely linked to the Ainu, the island's indigenous people. Ainu garments were traditionally made from cloth woven from plant fibres, including elm bark, and from cotton obtained through trade. Pieces were decorated with appliqué and embroidery in geometric patterns that signalled family and regional identity. These garments are seen today mainly at cultural events, in museum displays and in the work of Ainu communities rather than on everyday streets.

On the streets, dress is practical and layered. In winter that means down jackets, knitwear, hats, gloves and waterproof boots, while in summer light shirts and cardigans cover the sea breeze. Young people in the central streets dress much as they do in Tokyo, and the kimono is reserved for weddings, coming-of-age days and some festivals.

For a visit, pack for the season. In winter, bring a warm waterproof coat and boots with good grip, since snow and ice can cover the pavements. Summer evenings can be cool by the sea, so a light layer is useful. Temples such as Koryu-ji are visited in ordinary, modest clothes, and a shawl or cardigan helps if you plan to step inside. Hill walks on Mount Hakodate need walking shoes with a firm sole.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Late spring and October suit a visit best: May and June are warm without being hot, and October is cooler and drier than the peak summer months. Winter is snowy and cold, which suits visitors who enjoy snow scenes but makes hill walks harder.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly into Hakodate Airport, which is a short ride from the centre, or travel by rail from elsewhere in Hokkaido to JR Hakodate Station; the last leg into town is by tram or bus.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources