Hakodate Travel Guide

  night view of HAKODATE
by didier06
 
  • night view of HAKODATE
      night view of HAKODATE
    by didier06
  • HAKODATE asaishi (market)
      HAKODATE asaishi (market)
    by didier06
  • snow in KAKODATE  february 2005
      snow in KAKODATE february 2005
    by didier06
  • Tram
      Tram
    by didier06
  • Hakodate night view
      Hakodate night view
    by didier06
 

Pro

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  Quiet and tranquil place 


Con

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  english is not widely spoken 


In a nutshell

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  More than you expected! 

 

Explore Hakodate

Things to Do  

Mount Hakodate

Mount Hakodate, Hakodate

 didier06 Says:  The main attraction , mount Hakodate is 334 meters high, the view from the mountain is spectacular and is one of Japan's best three night views.It' accessible by ropeway, bus or car.The ropeway depart from Motomachi district and cost for adults 640 yens one way and 1160 yens... 

Visit the Motomachi district

Visit the Motomachi district, Hakodate

 didier06 Says:  In this district one can find some " western style buildings" like old british consulate, or the old Hakodate public hall, also the chinese memorial hall or the russian orthodox church.The district is situated at the foot of mount Hakodate.From JR station 5 mins tram ride. 

Goryoukaku Tower

Goryoukaku Tower, Hakodate

 wathy Says:  Find the histories of Goryoukaku and Hakodate in ground floor of this tower.You can climb up to the upstairs to see around of Hakodate, but you cannot see the star shape from here.They are building higher tower now, but I dun know if the star shape garden can be see from... 

Night views

Night views, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  The Bay area is lit up at night and makes for a good walk - however, don't expect restaurants to open til late. Still, you can settle for Lucky Pierrot's burger.Alternatively, on a good clear day, take the cable car up Mount Hakodate for a glittery view of the city with the... 

Akarenga "Red Warehouse" District

Akarenga "Red Warehouse" District, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  An area beside the Bay that used to be old red brick warehouses. These warehouses have been converted into souvenir "parlours", cafes, restaurants or shops. There are interesting views of sloped warehouses, water inlets between warehouses and in general, plenty of pretty... 

Motomachi area

Motomachi area, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  A wonderful area with sights of a Russian orthodox church right beside Japanese residential houses, which connects to the English embassy, and leads to a Shinto shrine that offers prayers for safe seafaring. A walkable area that gives a good overview of the history of... 

Hakodate Fish Market

Hakodate Fish Market, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  A must visit even if you are not a foodie. A good sight of large Alaskan crabs, squids, shells, sea urchins, fishes and some randomly caught "sea angels". The hustle bustle of seafood being cooked in the streets and fishermen moving their wares in the market is an experience... 

Pentagonal Fort Goryokaku

Pentagonal Fort Goryokaku, Hakodate

 robanne Says:  Goryokaku Fort is actually a park that housed alot of flowers and it one of the places Japanese gather for cherry blossoms viewing. Unfortunately I visited the place at the wrong season and missed the sight! However, there are still other nice flowers that decorated the park... 

Hotels  

Hakodate Kokusai Hotel

 1 Review and 93 Opinions  Big, modern-ish hotel close to the railway station with friendly, efficient staff. The rooms are a... 

Winning Hotel

 1 Review and 11 Opinions  This hotel is known only by few and selected, it does not advertise itself so much, the... 

Restaurants  

Various: Seafood Bowls

Various: Seafood Bowls, Hakodate

 salisbury3933 Says:  Right opposite the train station there is the local seafood market, and there are many small restaurants specialising in seafood bowls, namely seafood on rice.I had a crab and scallop bowl with miso soup, pickles and green tea for 1300 yen. Was excellent! 

Morning market: Seafood

Morning market: Seafood, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  Seafood, cooked or raw are absolutely heavenly. Expect fresh cuts so long as you eat within the market. Some wholesalers also sell you cooked seafood although don't expect a proper place to sit and chitchat. Very basic but still very good.A more touristy option would be the... 

3 different places: Surprising Finds

3 different places: Surprising Finds, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  Found some good "trashy" food in the Bay area where the brick warehouses are. Right along the Teddy Bear museum, there's a burger chain - Lucky Pierrot (burgers and fried chicken are GOOOOOOOD). Beside the burger shop is a supermarket where there is a grill section - the... 

Nightlife  

Mount Hakodate: Night view on Mount Hakodate

Mount Hakodate: Night view on Mount Hakodate, Hakodate

 robanne Says:  View off Mount Hakodate is very overrated I must say. Multiple sources have quoted it to be amongst the top 3 best night view in the world. Although it is still a nice view nevertheless, it pales in comparison to views off Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Maybe it is just me, or... 

Hakodate mountain: 1000milion$ Hakodate Night View

Hakodate mountain: 1000milion$ Hakodate Night View, Hakodate

 RoseAmano Says:  Fine night! We could see nice Hakodate view.I heard that Hong Kong, Napoli and Hakodate are top three night view cities in the world.Update!Changed photo away from the daft version originally posted. Again, another example of the strange and rather annoying habit of the... 

Transportation  

Tram around Hakodate

Tram around Hakodate, Hakodate

 robanne Says:  You don't really need to take trams to anywhere else in Hakodate other than probably to Fort Goryokaku or to the Yunokawa Onsen. Pllaces like the Motomachi District, Mount Hakodate and Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses are really within walking distance from one another. Price... 

trishaw pullers !

trishaw pullers !, Hakodate

 robanne Says:  Spotted alot of trishaw pullers near the JR Hakodate Station and around the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses, so I reckon they are ferrying tourists to and fro for a fee. Although I did not try it but it should be quite interesting. 

Shopping  

Meiji Kan amongst others: Many tourist shops in the Bay Area

Meiji Kan amongst others: Many tourist shops in the Bay Area, Hakodate

 RoseAmano Says:  Many posh and cute shops with local craft located in old brick warehouses. Here is a main tourist destination, so the prices for things here will be higher than and will have many more crowds compared to the boring chain department stores and supermarkets, where all the... 

Local Customs  

Eating whale meat

Eating whale meat, Hakodate

 Dr.Styranki Says:  Whale meat is served in sushi restaurants, but as it is very expensive and also not everyday meal in Japan, please take consideration and respect if it is served to you. It is Ok to say no thank you for the dish without explaining that you're allergic, it is against your... 

Tourist Traps  

this is small city so u do not expect night life

this is small city so u do not expect night life, Hakodate

 dame_akanbo Says:  most shop here close 9pm or earlierwithout some drinking bar.its not tokyo not sapporo .its a small city...so if u looking for night life u may be regret..only drinking in bar near of hotel is best way to kill time here I recommend to stay hotel kikuya and eat dinner at the... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Lake Onuma

Lake Onuma, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  Enroute to Hakodate (less than an hours' car drive North of Hakodate), you can swing by to the Onuma park. It's somewhat like swamp land where bridges connect the bodies of water / lakes and there's also a good view of the volcano in the region.There's plenty of space and... 

Cape Tachimachi

Cape Tachimachi, Hakodate

 akikonomu Says:  The drive up to the cape is through a narrow uphill road that cuts through a local cemetary. There isn't much to do at the cape although the scenary of the thrashing waves and wide expanse of dark blue sea is impressive. Get ready to be thrashed by the wind too. 

The Place

Plan a Hakodate vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Hakodate locals

Experience Hakodate
  •   103 Tips and Reviews
  •  235 Photos
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The People

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Our Members Say
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 Nightview in Hakodate is 1 of the 3 most beautiful nightviews in the world besides Hong Kong and Napolis.If you spend 1+ days in Hakodate, go up the mountain in... 

1 member lives in Hakodate

 

Questions and Answers

blacksnail profile photo

Q:  Hello, I'll reach Hakodate by JR from Sapporo at one 4pm, and leaving for Kyoto by Jr at 9:30pm. Do you think i can visit all... 

wathy profile photo

A: Hi Very tight schedule... I will suggest you go to Goryokaku Tower first after arrive at JR Hakodate Station. No need to explore Goryokaku Park, it will take much... 

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Top Hakodate Writers

1

Hakodate 2005

wathy profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Hakodate. I'd love to share with you the 15 tips I've written, the 41 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

2

Hakodate

RoseAmano profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Hakodate. I'd love to share with you the 17 tips I've written, the 50 photos uploaded, and 1 travelogue I've created. 

3

Hakodate

robanne profile photo

 Hakodate is the 3rd largest city in Hokkaido - probably only in size. I had initially thought the city would be bubbly and such but I was so wrong. Its really hard to spot any lives or activities on... 

4

Hakodate

salisbury3933 profile photo

 I spent around 24 hours in Hakodate, and it is an interesting city indeed. There are plenty of historical buildings to have a look at, and some excellent seafood on offer. 

5

relaxation....

jaam profile photo

 Hakodate is the 3rd largest city in Hokkaido. Together with Yokohama and Nagasaki, Hakodate was the first Japanese port to be opened to international trade. Having smoothly integrated foreign and... 

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