Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan (February 2025)

Hakodate is located at the bottom of Hokkaido. In other words, it is the gateway to Hokkaido from the perspective of people in Honshu.

After we spent one night in Noboribetsu, we traveled to Hakodate. We arranged with a driver in Hakodate, Saito-san, to pick us up at the hotel in Noboribetsu to the hotel in Hakodate. It took approximately three hours. The scenery on the way was simply white. Beautiful!

We hired a local guide through Tourbylocals.com, namely Keiko. I thought she would be in her 50s, but learned that she was born in the year 1944. She was 81 years old. Amazing! Her thorough preparation and endless passion were simply inspirational to all of us.

We met her at the hotel restaurant over dinner on the day we arrived. She gave us all the information we needed, including maps and even lessons about Japanese. 

The following day, we went to visit the Hakodate Morning Market. It was fun to walk around the market screening what the merchants sold. 

We visited the Goryogaku Fort and Tower. This fort was built to provide protection and residence for the governor. The view from the tower observatory was panoramic. 

We walked around the Motomachi District which had old buildings and churches. The first foreign settlers established their homes in this area when Japan first opened the country. 

For lunch, we spent some time at a local sweet store and cafe with a wide open sea view. We ate jensai, or red bean porridge, and some sweets. 

We visited a Botanical Garden where we found tens of Japanese snow monkeys taking baths in the hot springs. It was artificially made, but we were planning to see the snow monkeys in the wild. 

We visited a Roman Catholic Convent, but unfortunately, it was closed due to heavy snow.

On the second night, we went to Hakodate Beer Hall, a restaurant located in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District. These warehouses, which were used for storing goods for trading, have since been converted into restaurants and shops. The food we ate was excellent and delicious.

Hakodate used to be the administrative center for governing Hokkaido. Its access to fresh seafood and proximity to Honshu was quite attractive to tourists. - Jeffrey