| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-23-5440 |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, historical landmark, walking spot, no parking (paid parking nearby) |
| Location / Getting There | The monument is located on the old pier of Hakodate. It's only a 2 minute walk from Suehirocho station. It's also an 18 minute walk from Hakodate station. It's right by the old red brick warehouses shopping district. 24 Suehirocho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0053 |
Since the Meiji era, the Higashihama Pier (the former pier) was the gateway to Hokkaido. This pier was the original landing site. In 1968 a monument was erected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this landing. The monument also celebrates the achievements of the ancestors who came and cultivated Hokkaido. It is fascinating to go to that very spot and gaze over waters that brought in settlers from the mainland of Honshu. For those who like historical spots, take a quick walk down and enjoy the view.
The design of the monument depicts a brown bear standing over an anchor. The bear and the anchor are common motifs seen around Hokkaido. The monument was designed by Nobumichi Akashi, who was a professor at Waseda University. The pier itself is a nice place to take a walk by the water. The landing spot is right past the Red Brick Warehouse shopping area (which is a great spot to visit), so it is easy to have a wander around and take in a bit of history. 
| Admission | ¥500 Adults ¥250 Children |
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 18:00 (admission until 17:00) April-October 9:00 - 17:00 (admission until 16:00) November-March: 10:00 - 15: 00 December 31st-January 3rd |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 013-827-2500 info@mashumaru.com http://mashumaru.com |
| Notes | Museum, guided tours available, no parking (though Hakodate Station Square Parking can be used), restrooms |
| Location / Getting There | Located on the western harbor in Hakodate on the old pier. It's only a 4 minute walk from Hakodate station. It's also a 10 minute walk from the Red Brick Warehouses 29-15 Goryokakucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0001 |
The Mashu Maru is a ship that once served as a ferry and was the link between Hokkaido and the main island of Honshu. This ferry was in service until its last day on March 13, 1988. It is now moored at the old Hakodate number 2 quay. This platform was the actual platform from which the Mashu Maru operated from. In what is an already historical city, it now serves as a museum adding to the history, and sees its days welcoming sightseers. Close by to the ferry you can find Ika Square and Seaport Park, which is not a bad spot to have some take away lunch!
Once on board the Mashu Maru (kind of pronounced like marshmallow) you can access various parts of the ship. Take a turn at the wheel at the wheelhouse, or have a look at the wireless communication room as it was back in the day. One of the front cabins was remodeled into an exhibition room and has models and parts from the ferry. There is also a history of the ferry with panels and images. Unfortunately, there is no access to the main engine room or overall control room though you can see these rooms via a monitor camera that you can control. Access to the deck is available, though in the event of strong winds or snow parts of the deck will closed to the public. On board you can find a small shop selling souvenirs. Enjoy!
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, walking spot |
| Location / Getting There | The park and square are located on the eastern harbor, on the pier of Hakodate. It's only a 4 minute walk from Hakodate station. It's also a 10 minute walk from the Red Brick Warehouses 22-22 Otemachi, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0064 |
Hakodate is a coastal city. There are many piers and waterside promenades to casually stroll along and enjoy the views. On the western harbor you can find a nice small park appropriately named Seaport Park, plus Ika Square. The park is accessed via a circular walkway that surrounds the park and leads on to the well known Tomoe Big Bridge. The park has some small seating areas, has a view of the water, and views down onto Ika Square and the plaza there. This plaza is where tourists can access the decommissioned ship turned museum, the Mashu Maru.
Hakodate has a long and thriving squid fishing industry. It is one of the most popular seafood in Hakodate for the locals. In 1989 the city of Hakodate designated the squid as the city’s official fish. Squid is called ‘Ika’ in Japanese. Ika Square was created in honor of this event. The large monument located at the centre of the square represents a swarming school of squid. There are other statues in the plaza including an old anchor plus a young girl waving off departing ships from the port.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 8:00 - 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3856-0572 http://www2.saijoji/homepage |
| Notes | Buddhist shrine, sightseeing spot, no parking (though can park across the street) |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Hakodate. It's across from Goryokaku Park on the west side. From Suginami-cho station it is a 13 minute walk north. 29-15 Goryokakucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0001 |
Saijioji is a small Buddhist Temple in central Hakodate. It is directly across from Goryokaku Park, and is particularly beautiful in the spring as there are a couple of cherry blossoms in the courtyard area. There is also a small cafe next door making this a nice area to walk around. Being a Buddhist temple, you can find the various statues and motifs symbolizing the faith of this religion. There is a lovely little central shrine in the courtyard. It makes for a great photo opportunity.
Inside the temple itself they have the statues of the four widely revered Bodhisattva (Bosatsu in Japanese). Bodhisattva refers to anyone who has made a resolution to become a Buddha and has also received a confirmation or prediction from a living Buddha that this will be so. The four Bodhisattva include boundless compassion, wisdom, practice, and lastly patience and salvation from suffering. This is a nice spot to drop into and visit on your way to or from the Goryokaku Park nearby. And why not take a break at the cafe next door.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3633-2246 |
| Notes | Shinto shrine, sightseeing spot, no parking (though can park across the street), photography spot |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the southern end of the town of Kimobetsu. The temple is just past Kimobetsu River on the left (coming from Sapporo), and just past Aspeila Shopping Market. 323 Kimobetsu, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0201 |
In 1891, there was a drought in the late spring. On July 3rd Ōtsuki Mamoru and Hitoshi Otokichi travelled to Mt. Shiribetsu and attended a fasting prayer rain ritual for three days. On the evening of the 5th of July it started to rain. The plants and trees revived and the landscape flourished again. To give thanks, a small shrine was constructed as a thank you. This shrine was at the present location. In February 1945, the current shrine was established. In August 1952 the shrine burned down but was reconstructed. In September 2000, renovations were done to the large roof and work was done on the main gold foil metal fittings.
The land area of Kimobetsu Shrine is large with the shrine itself sitting at the top. What makes this shrine such a great place to visit is its views of Mt. Yotei and especially Mt. Shiribetsu (the mountain that was the scene of the fasting prayer over a hundred years ago). Mt. Shiribetsu is right across from the shrine and is definitely impressive. Kimobetsu Shrine is great to visit during late autumn. At this time the trees are changing colors and there is snow on the mountains. Alternatively, April is also a good month to visit after the snow has melted and the trees are blooming again. The shrine and surrounding buildings is a pleasant spot to walk around in the peace and quiet of the countryside. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:30 Restaurant & stores |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-33-2671 https://ageimo.com/ |
| Notes | Rest stop, sightseeing spot, restaurant, take out food, souvenirs, restrooms |
| Location / Getting There | Nakayama Pass is located on route 230 and is directly between Sapporo & Niseko. It is about a one hour drive from both. 345 Kawakami, Kimobetsu-cho, Abuta District, Kimobetsu, 044-0223 Hokkaido |
Nakayama Pass is also known as Nakayama Toge (toge meaning ‘mountain pass’ in Japanese). This mountain pass acts as a rest stop, shopping spot, restaurant, and sightseeing spot. The pass offers striking views of Mt. Yotei. Mt. Yotei being an active stratovolcano located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The pass is on the national highway route 230. The pass sees a lot of traffic coming and going as the highway is the link between Sapporo and all the southern districts, mainly Hirafu (Niseko), Lake Toya, Makkari, and Rusutsu. It is also the entrance to the Nakayama Toge ski field.
There is a huge parking area with entrances on both sides. There are a couple of buildings at the pass. It is here you can find a large souvenir store to pick up something on your way through. There are a couple of small take away stores as well. Nakayama Pass is probably best known for its ‘Ageimo’. Ageimo is a potato deep fried in batter (a little dry but popular). These come on a stick and cost ¥350. They also have fried chicken, imomochi (sticky potato cake) and ice-creams. There is also coffee. On the top floor is a small gallery and restaurant with panoramic views over the valley of Kimobetsu.
