No.02 Goryokaku (五稜郭) : 2023/02/04

No.02 Goryokaku (Hakodate, Hokkaido)

I visited Goryokaku on 4 February 2023. This photo diary introduces the snow-covered fortress and the area around Goryokaku Tower.

Read the original Japanese article (日本語)

My visit began at Goryokaku Tower. The white tower rising above the snow made a memorable winter scene in Hakodate.

Goryokaku Tower in winter. Its distinctive observation deck stands out against the sky.

Another view of Goryokaku Tower, with snow covering the surrounding area.

Inside the building, displays of a cannon and cannonballs, along with a bronze statue, offered a glimpse of Goryokaku’s history.

A cannon and cannonballs on display inside the building.

A bronze statue with a snowy scene beyond the windows.

Outside, the moat and surrounding trees were covered in snow. I also came across a sign and decorations for the winter illumination, Goryo Hoshi no Yume. These photos were taken during the day and do not show the lights switched on.

A blanket of snow gives the moat a very different appearance in winter.

A sign for the winter illumination, Goryo Hoshi no Yume. This photo was taken during the day.

A large illumination structure topped with a star.

Goryokaku is a Western-style, star-shaped fortress built in the closing years of the Edo period. The relief model makes its five-pointed layout especially easy to understand.

The model makes Goryokaku’s distinctive five-pointed shape easy to understand.

An information board showing the layout and sights of the historic site.

The monument reads “Special Historic Site: Goryokaku.” A snow-covered bridge is visible behind it.

I followed the snowy path into the fortress grounds toward the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office. Along the way, I could see snow resting on the stone walls.

A gate on the way to the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office. Snow remained on the path.

Stone walls and winter protection for the trees, seen up close.

The original Hakodate Magistrate’s Office stood at the center of Goryokaku and served as an administrative office of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was later dismantled. The building seen today was reconstructed in 2010.

An information board explaining the office’s history and reconstruction.

The reconstructed Hakodate Magistrate’s Office, with snow resting on its roof.

Goryokaku in the snow has a different atmosphere from the scenes of summer or cherry blossom season. From the moat and stone walls to the reconstructed magistrate’s office, the walk offered a sense of the fortress’s late-Edo-period history.

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Read this visit diary in Japanese (日本語)

Historical references (Japanese): City of Hakodate: History of Goryokaku / City of Hakodate: Buildings and Remains within Goryokaku / Goryokaku Tower: History of Goryokaku.