| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3822-0862 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the central Hokkaido. It is a 2 minute walk from Matsukaze Cho street car station. It is directly across from Hakodate Promote Hotel. 15-17 Matsukazechō, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0035 |
Kankanji is a large Buddhist temple in the central city of Hakodate. The temple is a short walk from many of the central hotels in the area and can be easily found off the main road. Throughout the year, (as with other temples of the same religious beliefs) special events and festivals are held. This temple is part of the Omotoyama Naritasan Shinshoji. There are eight other temples of the same sect and these can be found in Fukugawa (Tokyo), Kawagoe (Saitama), Sapporo (Hokkaido), Yokohama (Kanagawa), Osaka (Osaka), Nagoya (Aichi) and Fukui (Fukui prefecture).
The Founding Memorial Festival is on the 27th and 28th of July every year. Besides this festival, there are numerous events throughout the year. The main events can be seen on January 1, February 3 brings the Setsubun festival, March 20 (Vernal Equinox Day) Spring equinox memorial service, April 8 is the Flower Festival, June 15 is the Aoba Festival, September 18 (Autumn equinox day) Autumn equinox memorial service. The longest event is from October 1 to November 30 and sees the Shichigosan special prayer meeting. Trinkets, amulets, and beads can be bought at this temple.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-24-0033 |
| Notes | Park, events space, available to rent for events |
| Location / Getting There | This long park is located in central Hakodate. It is just a 5 minute walk from Hakodate Station. It is also a quick 3 minute walk from Matsukaze-Cho Tram Station. 2-23, Matsukaze-cho, Hakodate 10-62 16-8 |
The Hakodate Green Plaza is a long and narrow space that covers five blocks. It is located in the Daimon district in front of Hakodate Station. The park was established back in 1973 and was created as a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves. It was redeveloped from 2001 to 2003. This space is also used as an event space and can even be rented out, by calling and getting the appropriate forms. The park is also by many of the hotels and restaurants in the area so it is easily accessed.
The best time to visit the park would be during the spring as there are many cherry blossom trees planted along its central path. You can enjoy these blossoms with a casual walk or by taking a seat on one of the many benches. During the year, there are some events held at the park. These include the “Hakodate Shio Ramen Summit”, the “Daimon Festival”, and the “Hakodate Gourmet Circus”. In the middle of the park is a statue of ‘Gekko Kamen’ also known as Moonlight Mask, champion of justice. This masked hero became popular in Japan in 1958 and was idolized by many young boys. Hakodate is the hometown of the original author.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3822-6772 |
| Notes | Chinese restaurant, Japanese menu only |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Hakodate. It is only a 4 minute walk south east from Hakodate station. It can be found near many of the hotels along route 278. 19-1 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0063 |
Hakodate is a popular destination for many sightseers. Dotted between the hotels, you can find Hakodate Menya Yumin. This is a Chinese restaurant and has a solid menu of noodles, rice dishes and meat dishes to name a few. The menu only comes in Japanese but that isn’t a big problem as the dishes are all pictured so its easy to find what you want. This restaurants main dish is a bowl of steaming ramen. These Chinese noodles with pork will satisfy any hungry guest.
Hakodate Menya Yumin was established in 1946 and seems to be a well known restaurant among the locals. The entrance is adorned with signatures from well known people. Being only a short walk from Hakodate station is an added bonus. Apart from the ramen on the menu, they have a lot of other well known Chinese dishes to choose. These include sweet and sour pork, fried rice, spicy tofu, gyoza (steam-fried dumplings), and garlic shrimp. At Yumin, they also serve beer, whiskeys, and soft drinks.
| Cost per night | ¥3000 - ¥6000 per room |
| Check-in | 15:00 |
| Check-out | 10:00 |
| Contact | 013-824-381 https://www.unizo-hotel.co.jp |
| Restaurant | Yes. One restaurant & cafe 7:00 - 10:30 (last order 10:00) Breakfast 11:30 - 14:30 (last order 14:00) Lunch 17:00 - 1:00 (last order 00:30) Dinner |
| Wi-fi | Yes |
| Parking | Yes for ¥600 per night |
| Notes | Amenities in room, coin-operated laundry, vending machines, AED, smoking and non smoking rooms |
| Location | Located in central Hakodate it's a 5 minute walk south east from Hakodate station. 18-19 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido Prefecture, 040-0063 |
Unizo Inn Express is part of the Unizo Hotel chain throughout Japan. It is perfect for those traveling on a budget and offers comfortable and affordable rooms. The rooms come in standard single, semi-double, and twin bed rooms. The rooms are small but offer everything you need. All the rooms come with full amenities. The hotel being in central Hakodate, makes it close to many of the attractions and is a good starting out point. For those with cars, there is a small parking area at the hotel. This parking is not free unfortunately, and has an hourly rate (though the maximum rate is ¥800 for 12 hours).
The hotel has a restaurant. The restaurant is called Jingisukan Ram-Waka and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The breakfast is a western and Japanese style buffet. The ingredients for all their dishes uses local ingredients from Hokkaido. There are many restaurants around the area and a few places to grab a drink. This area has many hotels in it but if you are looking for a basic place to stay, then Unizo Inn Express is a very affordable option. Plus, being in Japan, even the cheaper hotels are clean and well presented.
| Admission | Free to walk or drive up |
| Admission for ropeway | ¥1500 adult round trip ¥700 children/students round trip |
| Opening Hours | Ropeway 10:00 - 22:00 Operates every 15 minutes from 10:00 to 22:00 (until 21:00 from mid October to late April). |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 013-823-3105 Ropeway 013-827-3127 Restaurant |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, stunning night views, parking, wheelchair access, restaurant, souvenir store, take out store |
| Location / Getting There | The ropeway station is a 10 minute walk from Jujigai tram stop (5 minutes, ¥210 from Hakodate Station). By direct bus. From late April to mid November, there are multiple direct buses per hour between Hakodate Station and the summit of Mount Hakodate in the evenings (30 minutes, ¥400). The buses are covered by the day passes for trams and buses. By car. The toll-free road to the summit of Mount Hakodate is open from mid April to mid November. The road is closed to individual car traffic in the evenings between 17:00 and 22:00. |
Mt. Hakodate is one of the main attractions of the city of Hakodate. The mountain is a prominent feature overlooking the city and stands at 334 metres. It can be found on the southern headland and it is most famous for its stunning night views. It has been voted as one of the top three night viewing spots in the whole of Japan! While visiting Hakodate it is a must see during any season. At the top, besides the views, there is a restaurant, observatory, rest area, souvenir store, and tea store.
There are three ways to get to the top. The most popular mode of transport is the use of the gondola (it is the most used gondola in all of Japan!). The ropeway station has parking at the bottom and operates all year round. The gondola offers great views on the way up. There is parking at the summit, and a winding road to drive up for those with their own transport but this road is closed during winter once the snow arrives. For those more adventurous and fitter , there are walking trails to the top (it takes about 40 minutes to the top). You can hike to the top throughout the year. Anyway you get to the top, the views and facilities make this a must see in Hakodate!
| Opening Hours | 9:00 - 18:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3824-8108 |
| Notes | Supermarket, shopping hall, souvenir shop, tax free, parking available (at Mitsui nearby), |
| Location / Getting There | 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. 24-6 Suehirocho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0053 |
Hakodate Nishi Hatoba (known as the ‘west wharf’ in english), is a seafood market, souvenir and large shopping warehouse. Here, you can walk through this shopping area which has an atmospheric beauty. Old wooden floorboards, warm lighting from rustic light shades, and Japanese written hangings, makes this market a pleasant place to walk around and peruse the local wares. Hakodate being a harbor city, this market sells mainly seafood, and they have a lot of produce, 2,000 types of products! For those traveling from abroad, you can pick up some souvenirs, and being tax free is a real bonus.
Hakodate Factory is part of the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse area and is a popular sightseeing spot. They have a tonne of seafood products that make for a great gift to take home, or to give as a present. These items include a variety of fish, salmon, eggs, kelp, squid, octopus, and crab. They have livestock products such as ham and sausages, and agricultural items grown fresh in Hokkaido. They also have dairy, plus ramen, curries, and famous sweets. In addition, you can try the raw delicacies such as the local “Matsumaezuke” (pickled seaweed with shredded squid), or the dried delicacies such as the popular “dried scallop”. Around the area they have restaurants including the famous Lucky Pierrot, a Starbucks, cafes, and other shopping outlets. This is a great day out in Hakodate.
