Hakodate

What?
Hakodate (函館) is a laid-back city at the south of Hokkaido (北海道). It was one of the first Japanese harbours to open to foreign traffic, which still is easily seen in some of city areas.
Where?
Hakodate lies in the southern part of Hokkaido and is recently connected to Honshu (本州) with the new Hokkaido Shinkansen (北海道新幹線). Nevertheless it easier to reach by air via the Hakodate Airport. Alternitavely you can come from Sapporo which is directly connected with Hakodate by JR express trains.
URL
Japan Guide Outline Hakodate Tourism

Hakodate is one of these places that seem to be instantly loved by everyone visiting it. I came here though not really because I wanted to, but because it was the best way to catch up with some relatives. That being the case, I didn’t really have a touristic plan. But maybe I didn’t need it, as I just tagged along with my relatives.

Right up at the start they took me to the morning market. Now I’m not a morning person, nor a market person, but the fish served here was succulent. Strolling through the market wasn’t my idea of fun though due to sheer amount of tourists (me being one of them). So yes, I was lucky that I was dragged along by locals; without a doubt the best way to experience the market.

After that we visited the Hakodate Beer Hall located in one of the old brick buildings by the bay. Their beer is not really impressive, the whole area around the old brick warehouses luckily is though. It’s perfect for a relaxing stroll and a true vacation feeling.

Next stop was the Motomachi area with a lot of western style buildings. While not extremely exciting, the area does have a picturesque feeling to it. The charm might be a bit lost to foreign visitors though – there is bigger and more authentic to find at home.

Fresh seafood at the morning market.

A building in the Motomachi Area.

Hakodate Beer

They are pretty proud of their seafood.

The main attraction of Hakodate is the night view from Mt. Hakodate. More than the view though, the tourist circus is worth watching. Just line up to reach the summit and watch how an endless stream of tourists packs together just to get a picture of a – truth to be told – quite impressive view. But really, get away from the top if you want to contemplate the vista quietly – just a few minutes of descent awards you with almost the same view but much more intimately.

Before leaving the next day I briefly popped in at the Trappistine monastery. Like all Trappist monasteries or abbeys in the world, the center of the religious convent is off limits, but here in Hakodate you can get quite far in. Before leaving make sure you have the excellent cookies.

All in all Hakodate is a nice place – and I know I’ll be back – but not to the extent to make it a must on your itinerary.