| 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.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥600 - ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | Depends on store though generally most stores open at 10:00 until 00:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | http://luckypierrot.jp/shop/hokutoinari/ |
| Notes | 17 stores around Hakodate, burger and souvenir restaurant, English menu available, no smoking |
| Location / Getting There | For store locations please see the end of article |
If you ask anyone what the most famous restaurant in Hakodate is, you more than likely to hear “Lucky Pierrot” as the answer. You can find Lucky Pierrot restaurants only in Hakodate and nowhere else in Japan. The Lucky Pierrot company was founded in 1987, and there are seventeen restaurants in the Hakodate municipality. Serving 1.8 million customers per year, its Chinese Chicken Burger was named as Japan’s “best local hamburger” by the Nikkei. Lucky Pierrot serves not only as a burger restaurant, but it’s also a place to pick up some local souvenirs!
Besides their famous Chinese Chicken Burger, their next best seller is the Lucky Egg Burger, plus a Pork Cutlet Burger, and a good old fashioned Lucky Cheeseburger. With so many burgers to choose from, it may take a while to go through the whole menu! Apart from burgers, they have curries, rice bowl meals, rice and omelette dishes, plus a dozen side dishes! There is definitely something for everyone. Each Lucky Pierrot restaurant has a facade. They are each decked out in an eclectic array of objects and furniture, creating a fantastic wonderland in which to dine in. While in Hakodate, be sure to make at least one visit to a Lucky Pierrot and check it off your list.
| Marina Suehiro | 0138-27-5000 10:00 - 0:00 Access: Near Kanemori red brick warehouse group. From JR Hakodate Station, 5 minutes by car, or a 20 minute -walk 14-17 Suehiro-chou, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido |
| Nanae Tōgeshita General Head Shop | 0138-66-6566 10:00 - 0:00 From JR Shin Hakodate-Hokuto Station, 7 minutes by car, or a 30 minute walk 337-11 Tōgeshita, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido 041-1102 |
| Bay Area Head Shop | 0138-26-2099 10:00 - 23:00 Near the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses From JR Hakodate Station, 5 minutes by car, or a 20 minute walk 23-18 Suehiro-cho, Hakodate 040-0053 |
| Front of Goryokaku Park | 0138-55-4424 10:00 - 0:00 From Goryokaku Park & Tower, a 1 minute walk 30-14 Goryoukaku-chou, Hakodate, Hokkaido |
| Front of Hakodate Station | 0138-26-8801 8:00 - 23:00 From JR Hakodate Station, a 5 minute walk. From Hakodate Asa-ichi, a 1 minute walk Hotel New Ote 2F, 8-8 Wakamatu-chou, Hakodate, Hokkaido |
| Tokura Shop | 0138-59-5888 10:00 - 0:30 Eastern side of town. From Hakodate University, an 8 minute walk. 30-1 Tokuracho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 042-0953 |
| Shōwa Shop | 0138-44-6600 10:00 - 0:30 Along Route 5 (runs through Hakodate). From Goryōkaku Station, an 11 minute walk 2 Chome-12-17 Showa, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-0812 |
| Akaigawa Shop | 01374-5-3323 10:00 - 0:30 From Akaigawa station, an 8 minute walk west 125 Aza-Akaigawa, Mori-chou, Kayabe-gun |
| Esashi Shop | 0139-52-5553 10:00 - 23:00 Western coast of Hakodate. From Shigejiro Hot Springs, a 6 minute drive 1252-1 Miwa, Assabu, Hiyama District, Hokkaido 043-1117 |
| Hondori Shop | 0138-53-8080 10:00 - 0:30 South eastern area of Hakodate city. From Goryōkaku park, a 7 minute drive 4 Chome-17-32 Hondori, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-0851 |
| Hokuto-inari | 0138-73-1515 10:00 - 0:30 On the western bay across from Hakodate city. From Kamiiso station, a 5 minute walk 1 Chome-6-4 Inari, Hokuto, Hokkaido 049-0161 |
| Mihara Shop | 0138-46-8988 10:00 - 0:30 North area of Hakodate. From Goryokakucho Park, a 10 minute drive 2 Chome-14-3 Mihara, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-0806 |
| Minato Front of Hokkaido University | 0138-42-6550 10:00 - 0:30 Across from Hokkaido University of Marine Studies. From Nanaehama station, a 17 minute walk 3 Chome-18-28 Minatocho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-0821 |
| Matsukage Shop | 0138-32-1777 10:00 - 23:00 Central Hakodate city. From Goryōkaku Park, a 5 minute drive, or a 13 minute walk 22-6 Matsukagecho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0003 |
| Hitomi Shop | 0138-53-7477 10:00 - 0:30 Central Hakodate city. From Hakodate Racecourse, a 19 minute walk. From Chiyogadai station, a 15 minute walk 24-15 Hitomicho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0005 |
| Honchō Shop | 0138-56-4469 10:00 - 23:00 From Goryokaku Koen Mae station, a 3 minute walk. Near Goryokaku park. 4-18 Honcho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0011 |
| Jyujigai Ginza Shop | 0138-23-2300 10:00 - 21:00 From Jyugigai station, a 1 minute walk. From the Mt. Hakodate ropeway, an 8 minute walk 8-11 Suehiro-chou, Hakodate |
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:30 - 14:30 , 17:00 - 20:00 Hakodate 10:00 - 19:00 Hakodate sweets 11:00 - 23:00 Sapporo |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0138-23-1106 Hakodate restaurant 0138-23-3560 Hakodate sweets 050-5287-4712 Sapporo |
| Notes | Western style restaurant, sweets store, party plan, |
| Location / Getting There | 2 locations in Hakodate Central Sapporo. Located on the 8th floor of Ikeuchi Zone building. Ikeuchi Zone is a 2 minute walk from Odori. 〒060-0061 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 1 Jonishi, 2 Chome-9-1 IKEUCHIZONE 8F |
Gotoken is a small chain of restaurants located in Hakodate and Sapporo (for Sapporo location see below). Gotoken was founded by Sotaro Wakayama way back in 1879. These restaurants are certainly immersed in history. The first chef and co founder, Hidekichi Goshima fought in the battle of Hakodate with the shogunate army in 1897. The next generation, Tokujiro Wakayama, learned French cooking techniques at the Imperial Hotel. He introduced these extra techniques and ingredients to make Gotoken a successful restaurant that has survived over a hundred years.
With this in mind, Gotoken has a built up a broad menu of western style dishes. Besides the single dishes available, they have a dozen course plans which are delicious. There is a ‘Meiji Western Food and Curry’ set which incorporates dishes back from this era, a mix of British and Japanese flavors. Gotoken has a mix of French cuisine, Russian cuisine, and Italian just to name a few. Gotoken is also known for its curry sets. They have a Gotoken Curry restaurant at the Goryokaku Tower in Hakodate. Plus if you like something sweeter, there is a sweets shop as part of the restaurant chain.
| Opening Hours | Depends on location Generally from 9:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | https://www.cando-web.co.jp/ |
| Notes | Cheap shopping store, basic goods |
| Getting There | There are multiple locations throughout Hokkaido. There are stores in every main city around Hokkaido |
Can Do is a large chain of stores throughout Japan. It is one of the two main ¥100 store companies in Japan. In Hokkaido they have around seventy five in all the main cities. Their goal being to become a world wide brand. You can easily recognize the store by its large orange star. Their stores are well laid out and bright with easy to find items on the shelves. With most items being at ¥100 you can find most of your daily household goods at Can Do. These stores are very popular due how cheap everything is here. Most of the stores are part of main shopping centres or around some supermarkets.
To find a Can Do closest to you, simply visit their website and check on locations. You can find the list of stores here. The items available at Can Do include Japanese traditional items (which make for a nice little souvenir to take home), kitchen goods, stationary and office supplies, bath and restroom articles, cleaning and washing items, health and beauty goods, clothing and bags, home goods, electronics, and food. Anything that you are looking for really.
| Admission | Free admission |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2275 |
| Notes | Parking available 175 cars, Toilets, Wheelchair access & toilets. Matsumae Sakura Festival (late April-mid May) Matsumae Ajisa Festival (early August) |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote, get off at "Matsujo Bus Stop", 7 minutes on foot. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
The extensive Matsumae Park
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The path running through the park
Besides the cherry blossoms the park has other flowers that bloom throughout the summer and spring. Camellias come out from April to May, dandelions & azaleas in mid-May. In early June, wisterias are in bloom, and from July you can see hydrangeas & roses in the park. There is a path that runs through all the way up to a second park at the back and to the base of the mountains. It is well worth a walk up as at the top you can enjoy great views looking over the whole of Matsumae Park and the Strait of Tsugaru. There are two festivals held in Matsumae park, the first is the Matsumae Sakura Festival which is held from late April to mid May. The second is the Matsumae Ajisa Festival in early August.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Open 24 hours |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0139-42-2449 |
| Notes | Photography spot |
| Location / Getting There | 6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511 |
Peaceful
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Graveyard of the Matsumae Lords
Walking among the stone pathways and moss covered gardens is a real treat. Another feature of this area is the graveyard of the local Matsumae Lords. The trees surrounding the headstones and tombs make for a fantastic setting, with which to wander and take the quiet beauty of the graveyard. There is also a fantastic 200 year old Kechimyaku Sakura (bloodline cherry). The temples are especially beautiful during late April and early May, as the cherry blossoms (with which Matsumae is famous) are in full bloom. Make sure to bring your camera as you stroll through the historic buildings and paths.
