| Admission | ¥800 Adults ¥300 Children |
| Opening Hours | 8:00 - 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3824-1115 http://www.ryoma1115.com/ ryoma1115@amail.plala.or.jp |
| Notes | Historical museum, wheelchair access |
| Location / Getting There | Central Hakodate. Take the tram from 'Hakodate Eki Mae' to 'Jujigai' station (3 stops and costs ¥200). The museum is right next to the Jujigai tram stop. Alternatively, it's a 17 minute walk from Hakodate station. 8-6 Suehirocho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0053 |
Sakamoto Ryoma was born on 3 January 1836, and grew up to be a master swordsman and lower class samurai who opposed the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was against the modernization and westernization of Japan, though he was a visionary who dreamt of an independent Japan without feudalism, inspired by the example of the United States where “all men are created equal”. He is also regarded as the “father of the Imperial Japanese Navy”. He was a prominent figure before his assassination on 10 December 1867 at a local tavern near Kyoto.
The museum in Hakodate was constructed in 2009 to honor his life. The island of Hokkaido, then known as ‘Ezo’ was a new land for the samurai to relocate to and become farmers. Across from the museum you can find a large statue of Sakamoto Ryoma. There is information about his life plus other prominent samurai of the era. These include Okamoto Kensuke who explored the islands of Sakhalin alone, and Santo Ichiro who was interested in cultivating Ezo. For a look at a piece of Japanese history, Sakamoto Ryoma museum is a good place to visit.
| Opening Hours | 7:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-22-5482 |
| Notes | Confectionary store, Japanese sweets, small parking area next door |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Hakodate and is a 5 minute walk from the closest tram station, Uoichibadori Station. Once alighting the street car, head east. 5-13 Sakaecho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0041 |
Sakae Mochi is an old style Japanese confectionary store. This old style sweets store excels in dumplings and daifuku made with elegant sweet bean paste. Daifuku is a sweet consisting of small round mochi (rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling. The filling is most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. These soft cakes are usually enjoyed with Japanese green tea. This store is popular with the locals where you can pick up some home made goodies.
Especially now in the big cities, most people do their shopping at the large supermarkets where they may pick up some mochi or sweets. Convenience stores, likewise are also places to pick up some confectionary. To support the local stores, this place is a much better option to buy traditional Japanese sweets. Not only are they home made, you are supporting the local economy , and most importantly, they taste better and are fresh onto the shelves. Sakae Mochi is a great place to go and have a look, and why not buy a sweet or two!
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Weekends and public holidays |
| Contact | 011-3822-2721 http://kikkokawa1.com/ |
| Notes | Brewery, parking for 5 |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Hakodate and is a 7 minute walk from Uoichibadori tram station. Exit the streetcar and head east. It's across from Kengyusanzenko Temple. 2-7 Sakaecho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0041 |
Kikkokawa Ichi Brewery was founded back in 1942 in Hakodate. They primarily make soy sauce. In Hakodate, there used to be more than ten soy sauce brewers but now Kikkokawa Ichi Brewery is the only one. Surviving the test of time, this small store is quite unique. Their product uses kelp from the Minamikayabe district in the northwestern part of Hakodate. This kelp is considered a high class food and was even given as a gift to the shogunate since the Edo period.
What makes this soy sauce special is that ordinary kelp soy sauces use a kelp extract, whereas Kikkokawa’s product uses real strips of Shiraguchihama kelp which brings out the strong flavor. In addition to the soy sauces on the shelves this company also produces miso sauce, a grilled meat sauce, and ‘mentsuyu’ (a noodle soup based sauce). This company takes orders or you can simply drop in tot heir store and have a look around.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-22-2637 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the central Hakodate. It is a 7 minute walk east from Matsukaze Cho tram station. Head east and the temple is on the corner of Isaribidori. It is by Omori Beach 22-6 Omoricho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0034 |
By the shores of Ōmori Beach there is a Shinto Shrine called Daimoriinari Shrine. The year of its founding is unknown due to the great fires in Hakodate. However, there is a map from the Kanbun Era dated back to the 1600’s with the name of the temple on it so the temple is estimated to be around 350 years old. The guardian stone lion dogs guarding the temple are incredibly old and are worth a look. After a large fire in 1890, it moved to its present location in 1943. The entrance used to face the ocean, but now it faces towards the city.
Inside the grounds there are various monuments and shrines honoring certain individuals. Prayers can be performed by the priest here can be booked in advance. The priest will bless everything from wife safety to business prosperity and anniversaries. Gifts and amulets can be bought inside. These bring good luck and protection. Throughout the year there are various events and festivals that are held at the temple. For more information on the dates read below.
| 1st of every month | New moon festival |
| 10th of every month | Monthly festival |
| January 1st | Year end festival |
| February 3rd | Setsubun festival |
| 1st day of the lunar month of February | Hatsuuma festival |
| June 30th | Oharae ceremony |
| September 9th - 11th | Evening palace festival |
| October 15th | Shichigosan |
| November 23rd | Niiname festival |
| December 31st | Nightfall festival |
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Notes | Beach, jogging spot, BBQ spot, swimming spot |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Hakodate. The closest tram station is Matsukaze-cho Station. It is a 7 minute walk east from this station. 〒040-0034 Hokkaido, Hakodate, Omoricho, 22, Unnamed Road |
Ōmori Beach is a beach located on the eastern side of the main headland that makes up the city of Hakodate. The beach runs or about three kilometers with a majority of the rural housing running alongside it. The beach is your typical beach in Hokkaido. The sands are not pristine but it is a popular spot during the short summer months on the northern island. There is no official parking spot but there are plenty of places to park on the side streets that run adjacent to the beach.
This beach is good for taking a stroll with views along the coast to Mt. Hakodate in the south. For those wanting for more of a fitness kick, it’s also a good beach to run along. In the summer, there are places to have a picnic or a small BBQ with friends. Unfortunately, there are very little restaurants or cafes along this beach. There are a couple of hotels close by. The beach is a short walk from the streetcar station, Matsukaze-cho Station. The beach also offers up some nice sunset views to enjoy at dusk.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-40-3601 |
| Notes | Cemetery, sports park, playground, no parking, bathrooms |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Hakodate, by Omori beach. The closest tram station is Matsukaze-cho Station. It is a 7 minute walk east from this station. The park is also next to Kameda River. 33 Omoricho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0034 |
Ōmori Park is a large green space in Hakodate. It is used for sporting events (namely baseball), and as a play area for children. At the northern end of the park, you can find an impressive memorial hall and burial site. The park is popular for those looking to keep fit, as it has outdoor exercise equipment, plus it being a good spot to jog around. The spacious playground area also makes it a popular spot for families. The park is just across the road from Ōmori Beach as well, so there are a few things to see in the area.
The memorial hall was constructed in 1937 with the five tier pagoda being built later. Takenosuke Miyamoto (a local businessman), was behind the construction of the pagoda using his own funds and property. The area has some historical significance and there is a large plaque (in Japanese), talking about the dark event that took place here many years ago. On the evening of March 21, 1954 a fire spread through the city and was fanned by strong winds from the ocean. The fire affected 102,000 with almost 3,000 reported missing. The Omori Bridge was terribly burned and many people were killed in and along the Kameda River. This river flows right by the memorial hall and pagoda.
