Hakodate, Japan

New-to-us Port #60.

A 7:00a arrival to overcast skies in the first of two ports we will be visiting on Hokkaido Island, the northernmost in the Japanese Archipelago. It was quite chilly, but at least it wasn’t raining.

I was happy to see that contrary to being told that we would be docking at the further wharf — Minato-cho … 7 km to the Hakodate Station — we were at the Wakamatsu Wharf that is just 300 m to the station. That would buy us some additional sightseeing time.

Mui had arranged for another Goodwill Guide — Takashi Hanamitsu — to give us an overview-tour of the city. Our meeting time was not until 9:00a, however. That left us with about an hour to explore on our own.

The Morning Market was well within walking distance and on the way to the Hakodate Station … our meeting point with the guide. We meandered through the stalls where seafood of all kinds — fresh and still wiggling — were on display. There were some packaged dried seafood as well. And fruits — packaged so as not to be bruised — and vegetables … and a lot more.

From the market, we went to the JR Hakodate Station to meet our orange-vested guide near the ticket counter inside. Normally, we would have taken public transportation, but Takashi explained that we’d be taking taxis to save time since we had a short day in port. He went on to say that he’d be paying for the taxis out of the JPY 5,000 administrative fee we’d paid for using the services of the association. His expenses would also be paid out of that fee, so we’d be responsible just for our own admissions and meals.

Goryokaku Tower, which overlooks the fort by the same name, was first up. Opened in 2006, the tower has two observation decks … the top one 295 feet high. The height allowed us to clearly see the star-shape of the old fortifications. The bonus was views of the city clear out to Mount Hakodate, the top of which was cloaked by clouds.

At the observation terrace, we found an exhibit of miniature dioramas broadly described as the “Goryokaku History Corridor.” The dioramas tell the history of the area … from the arrival of the American fleet under the command of Commodore Perry to the serene years that followed after a turbulent period of war.

From the tower, we walked over to Goryokaku Fort, which is a park today … no admission charged, unless you want to visit the Office of the Magistrate. The fort was built in 1853, when the US fleet arrived … thus making Hakodate the first Japanese city to open to the rest of the world once the Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed with the Tokugawa Shogunate. Built as the symbol of a new era, the fort was also the place where the feudal system was abolished.

The Magistrate’s Office is the only structure that was rebuilt after all of the buildings were demolished in 1871 … following the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration. To reconstruct the building exactly as it was, old photograph — one in particular … found in Paris — and documents and drawings had to be carefully studied and coordinated with the results of the excavation of the site on which the building once stood. The re-construction was completed in 2010.

Takashi suggested paying the admission to go inside the Magistrate’s Office and we agreed. In hindsight, we should have saved our money. There were very few signs in English to explain the exhibits set up in the various rooms. A stroll in the park would have been a more pleasant alternative.

Next, we took a taxi to the cable car station that takes visitors up Mount Hakodate to enjoy the views. Takashi also planned to feed us lunch at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. Since it was still early, however, he explained that we would first wander around the nearby Important Preservation District, which includes the western-style historic buildings of the Moto-Machi district.

We spent a pleasant 45 minutes or so strolling the streets; looking down the steep slopes that cut across the main street; visiting several of the buildings that are open to visitors … such as the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches; wandering by the Episcopal Church, which Takashi said is where he got married … for a price; and touring the Old Public Hall of the Hakodate Ward … dating back to 1910.

Mount Hakodate had been cloaked by clouds when we first arrived in port. As we were leaving the Goryokaku area, we noted that the peak was now visible. In fact, it was still out in the open when we headed off for our stroll around Moto-Machi. Unfortunately, by the time we returned to the cable car station, the cloak was back in place. Signs at the ticket counter — and a TV screen showing the conditions at the top — warned of veiled views.

At that point, we should have just told Takashi to forget the plan to go up the ropeway — as they refer to cable cars in Japan — and find somewhere else for lunch. But Takashi said that we’d still be able to see the views until the cable car reached the cloud boundary. So, we went along with the plan. The views were indeed beautiful.

We had a tasty lunch at Restaurant Genova, ordering from the menu instead of purchasing the ropeway + set menu option when buying tickets for our ride. I ordered a potato dish with Gouda cheese; Mui ordered a rice bowl with sashimi. We washed down the food with Sapporo Classic beer. Before taking the cable car down, Takashi bought us some soft-serve ice cream for dessert.

Once down the mountain, we walked over to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses. These buildings date back from the period when Hakodate opened up to trading with the west. Today, they host shops, restaurants, and more. There’s even a wedding chapel, which was closed today for the nuptials of a Japanese couple. We wandered around the shops, tasted sesame-covered mochi balls (sweet, sticky rice balls) that Takashi bought for us, and slowly made our way through the buildings.

When we got outside the last warehouse, it was time to bid Takashi farewell. He told us we to follow the waterfront road to return to the Wakamatsu Wharf. Easy peasy.

Dinner tonight was with segment passengers Gordon and Lisa in the GDR. I’ve been communicating with Gordon online for a while now. It was a delightful evening and we enjoyed getting to know them both.Read more