JP · Hokkaido · 41.77°N 140.73°E

hakodate

Night view from Mount Hakodate, a morning squid market and a star-shaped fort.

Best time
Summer (June to August) is cool and pleasant. Late April to early May brings cherry blossoms at Goryokaku, and winter is snowy, with lights along the bay.
How long
2 days, 1 night
Getting there
Fly from KL to Tokyo (about 7 hours) and connect to Hakodate (about 1.5 hours), or take the Hokkaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in about 4 hours, then a 20-minute train into town. From Sapporo it's about 4 hours by limited express.
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JP · Hokkaidohakodate41.77°N 140.73°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Night view from Mount Hakodate, a morning squid market and a star-shaped fort.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingHakodateJP, Hokkaido
KLhakodate
≈ 5,788 km from KL, as the crow flies
Panoramic view of the Goryokaku fortification in Hakodate

Photo: Keihin nike · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A port city at Hokkaido's southern tip and one of the first in Japan to open to foreign trade. Come for the night view from Mount Hakodate, seafood breakfasts at the morning market and the old Western-style churches and houses of Motomachi.

Makan

  1. Seafood rice bowlsUni, ikura and crab piled on rice at the morning market.Map ↗
  2. SquidHakodate's signature catch, served very fresh or cut thin like noodles as ika somen.Map ↗
  3. Shio ramenHakodate ramen is a clear, light salt broth, unlike Sapporo's miso.Map ↗
  4. Lucky PierrotA quirky Hakodate-only burger chain that locals are proud of.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Mount Hakodate night viewRide the ropeway up after dark for the famous view of the city squeezed between two bays.Map ↗
  2. Hakodate Morning MarketNext to the station, with seafood stalls, rice bowl counters and a pool where you can fish for squid.Map ↗
  3. GoryokakuA star-shaped fort best seen from the tower next to it, ringed by cherry trees in spring.Map ↗
  4. MotomachiSteep slopes lined with old churches and Western-style buildings, looking down to the harbour.Map ↗
  5. Kanemori Red Brick WarehousesOld harbour warehouses turned into shops and cafés by the water.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Go up Mount Hakodate before sunset to get a spot. The ropeway queues get long after dark.
  • Fog and cloud often hide the night view, so check the weather before heading up.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.