Hachiman-zaka

Of the nineteen slopes that stripe the hillside of Hakodate's Motomachi district, Hachiman-zaka is the undisputed star, and one of the most photographed streets in all of Hokkaido. Running dead straight from the harbourfront up toward the churches and Western-style buildings of the hillside, it offers a perfectly framed view: the broad, tree-lined avenue descending in a clean line to the water, with the port, the piers and often a moored ship filling the gap between the buildings at its foot. It is the image that appears on countless postcards, television commercials and travel posters, and standing at the top to take it in is a Hakodate rite of passage.

The slope takes its name from the Hakodate Hachiman Shrine, which once stood in this area before being relocated, and the street has grown up as one of the elegant approaches that connect the old port below with the cosmopolitan quarter above. Motomachi developed after Hakodate became one of Japan's first ports opened to foreign trade in the mid-19th century, and the district filled with consulates, churches, trading houses and merchants' villas in a mix of Western and Japanese styles. The slopes that climb the hill, each with its own name and character, are the framework on which this remarkable townscape hangs, and Hachiman-zaka is the grandest of them.

By day the slope is a pleasant, leafy walk lined with trees and handsome buildings, busy with visitors lining up for the famous downhill photograph. It is at dusk, however, that Hachiman-zaka is most magical, when the street lamps and the lights of the harbour and ships come on and the whole composition glows against the deepening sky. In winter the slope is sometimes illuminated and dusted with snow, adding to its romance; in every season the view down to the water is a highlight.

The slope sits at the heart of the Motomachi walking area, so it is easy to fold into a wider stroll. Within a few minutes on foot lie the Hakodate Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, the Old Public Hall and a scattering of cafes and boutiques housed in restored heritage buildings. Many visitors work their way up and across several of the slopes, comparing the views, before descending to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses and the bay area below.

Getting there is simple. The Hakodate tram stops at Suehiro-cho, a few minutes' walk from the foot of the slope, and the climb, while steep in places, is short. There is no charge and the street is open at all hours, so you can time your visit for the light you want.

Allow around 20 minutes to walk up, take in the view from the top and photograph the descent, longer if you linger at the nearby churches or cafes. Simple, elegant and endlessly photogenic, Hachiman-zaka distills the charm of Hakodate's Western-influenced port townscape into a single unforgettable view.