3 Days in Hakodate, Hakodate, Japan

I’ll start by saying that a single day would be enough to visit Hakodate, but I needed to slow down and relax, and this town in southern Hokkaido was the perfect spot at the perfect moment.

It’s 3h30 train from Sapporo and is a port city with a treacherous shape… it looks like an hourglass between high hills, the harbor and the Strait of Tsurgu and while strolling aimlessly is easy to get lost finding yourself on the wrong waterfront. With its long, uphill roads, the vintage tram, nice colored wood houses, the relaxed atmosphere and the sea breeze Hakodate has immediately made me think of San Francisco, despite the heavy snowfall! I stayed for three nights in one of these houses in the Motomachi district, on the hillside, furnished in traditional style, my room included a coffee table on tatami floor, cushions and futons to sleep at night, all in front of a large window covered with rice paper panels. Zen and cozy at the same time. The owner, Masahiro, has another two rooms with bunk beds in hostel style, but during my visit I was the only guest.

Hakodate was the first Japanese harbor opened to the Western world and in Motomachi district you really can tell! It’s dotted with churches of all religion and architectural style, with the ancient government buildings in colonial style and then there is also a cemetery for foreigners, mostly sailors and mainly Russians, British and French according to the tombstones. Among the many churches scattered around the hill I especially liked the Orthodox one, just behind “my home”. Its typical convoluted copper domes were just right in the snowy landscape. From its courtyard you can also enjoy a nice view of the gulf. The zen sanctuary Gokoku, near the entrance of the cable car, is also with a visit. Very peaceful and lovely designed. Among the public buildings I rather liked the Public Palace (300 yen), in wood painted in yellow and blue, with a sumptuous porch and a terrace overlooking the sea that makes you dream. A few meters further down there is the former British Consulate (300 yen), which exhibits some memorabilia linked to the Crown and is home to a nice English tea room. Some rooms were undergoing restoration, so I’m not sure if the exposition is more extensive. The museum that I preferred is the Museum of Northern Peoples (300 yen), dedicated to Ainu culture. But what I really loved in Hakodate is the morning fish market, a few tens of meters from the station. As ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).