Goryokaku

Goryokaku is a five-pointed, star-shaped fort in the heart of Hakodate and one of the most historically significant sites in Hokkaido. Completed in 1866 at the end of the Edo period, it was Japan's first fortress built in the Western European vauban style, its angular bastions designed to eliminate blind spots and allow crossfire against attackers. The name literally means "five-cornered fort," and its geometry is best appreciated from above.

The fort was commissioned by the Tokugawa shogunate to defend the newly opened port of Hakodate against foreign powers after Japan was forced to end its isolation. Ironically, it saw its only real combat not against foreigners but against fellow Japanese. During the Boshin War, remnants of the shogunate's navy under Enomoto Takeaki seized the fort in 1868 and declared the short-lived Republic of Ezo. In the spring of 1869 imperial forces besieged Goryokaku, and its surrender in May marked the final battle of the war and the definitive end of the samurai era. The charismatic Shinsengumi commander Hijikata Toshizo was killed in the fighting nearby, and his memory looms large over the site.

Today the fort is a public park, its earthwork ramparts and water-filled moats beautifully preserved. Visitors can walk across the entrance bridge, wander the grassy interior, and follow paths atop the star-point bastions. In 2010 the reconstructed Hakodate Magistrate's Office (Bugyosho), the administrative building that once stood at the center, was rebuilt using traditional techniques and now houses exhibits on the fort's history. Cannon emplacements and interpretive signs dot the grounds.

The most famous fact about Goryokaku is that you cannot truly grasp its shape from within, which is why the adjacent 107-metre Goryokaku Tower was built; from its observation deck the perfect five-pointed star spreads out below, especially striking when its roughly 1,600 cherry trees bloom. In late April and early May the moats and ramparts erupt in pink, making it one of Hokkaido's premier hanami spots and one of the last cherry-blossom fronts to open in Japan each year. Autumn brings golden and crimson foliage, and in winter the moat outline is sometimes lit up as an illuminated "Star of Light."

The visiting experience is relaxed and family-friendly. The grounds are flat, wide and free to enter, with gravel and paved paths suitable for strollers, though the rampart tops involve gentle slopes. Allow at least an hour to circle the star and see the reconstructed office (which charges a small separate admission). A café and rest areas sit near the tower base. Because the park is open from dawn, early mornings are peaceful and photogenic.

Spring is unquestionably the finest season for the blossoms, but summer greenery and autumn colour are lovely and far less crowded. The site is enjoyable year-round.

Getting there is easy from central Hakodate. Board the historic city tram Line 2 and ride to Goryokaku-koen-mae, from which it is about a fifteen-minute walk northeast to the entrance bridge, following signs past shops and the tower. Buses also connect directly from Hakodate Station in around twenty minutes. IC cards are accepted on the tram and buses, so no exact change is needed.