What this area is like
Take the ropeway up Mount Hakodate for the famous night view, start the next day at the Hakodate Morning Market, then walk the slopes and Western-style buildings of Motomachi and the star-shaped Goryokaku fort.
Reached by the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, then a connecting train, or by air. Allow at least one night.
Choose your next step
Places to see in this area
Mount Hakodate Ropeway
A ropeway to the 334 m summit, famous for the night view of the city spread between two bays.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from the Jujigai tram stop to the base station.
- Hours
- 20 April–30 September 10:00–22:00; 1 October–19 April 10:00–21:00. Can change with weather.
- Fee
- Return: adults ¥1,800, children ¥900. The summit observatory is free.
- Address
- 19-7 Motomachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Go up about 30 minutes before sunset to see the view change from dusk to night. It is windy and cold at the top even in summer.
Goryokaku Tower
A 107 m tower beside Goryokaku, the star-shaped fort where the last battle of the Boshin War ended in 1869.
- Access
- About 13 minutes on foot from the Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop.
- Hours
- 9:00–18:00. Open every day.
- Fee
- Adults ¥1,200; junior high and high school ¥900; elementary ¥600.
- Address
- 43-9 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
The star shape is only clear from above. In late April to early May, the fort’s cherry trees turn the star pink.
Hakodate Morning Market
A market of about 250 stalls next to the station, selling crab, sea urchin and squid, with rice-bowl restaurants inside.
- Access
- About 1 minute on foot from JR Hakodate Station.
- Hours
- May–December from 5:00; January–April from 6:00. Most stalls close around 14:00.
- Fee
- Free to enter. Many stalls are cash only.
- Address
- 9-19 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Go for breakfast. At the squid-fishing pool you can catch a squid and have it served as sashimi.
How to plan your time here
- Morning market for breakfast, Goryokaku in the late morning, the Motomachi slopes and red-brick warehouses in the afternoon, and Mount Hakodate at dusk.
- Hakodate is about 4 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen and limited express, or a short flight. It also links well with a trip to Sapporo by limited express (about 3 hours 40 minutes).
Information checked 26 October 2026. Plans are JapaLens editorial suggestions, not on-site reviews. Hours and fees can change; check the official page before you go.