Hakodate Attractions｜Admire Japan's first Western star-shaped fortress—Goryokaku Park. Wulingguo Tower

#100 Ways to Travel Attractions: #Goryokaku Park #Goryokaku Tower Hokkaido #Hakodate There is no Hakodate Castle, but there is Japan's first Western-style high fortress. After seven years of construction, Japan's first Western-style high castle fortress was built in 1864, and two years later, it was completed along with all its accompanying facilities. Although it was built as the political center of the Ezo region, it was occupied by the old shogunate army and continued to engage in a very fierce war with the new government army until 1867. This is also where Japan's last samurai fought and died. Most of the buildings were dismantled and became the current Goryokaku Park. Transportation guide: Take the Hakodate City Railway from JR Hakodate Station (in front of Hakodate Station) towards Yunokawa, get off at Goryokaku Park-mae, and walk for about 15 minutes. There are many buses from Hakodate Bus Terminal Platform 5 in front of JR Hakodate Station to the Goryokaku Park Entrance bus stop, which is about a 7-minute walk away. Goryokaku Park itself does not require a ticket, but you may not be able to feel the feeling of a star-shaped fortress, so you can climb up the "Goryoku Tower" to have a clear view of the entire park. Goryokaku Tower is 107 meters high and the ticket price is ¥1,000 (the ticket price will increase to ¥1,200 starting April 1, 2025). The entrance hall on the first floor has a ticket counter, a souvenir shop, and a statue of the person who designed Goryokaku. While waiting for the elevator to the observation deck, there is a terrain model on the glass floor under your feet that shows what Hakodate (the old name of Hakodate) looked like at that time. There are restaurants and art galleries on the second floor. The first floor has an observation deck, a transparent floor, a cafe and a souvenir shop. On the second floor, there is an observation deck, a bronze statue of Hijikata Toshizo, and the Goryokaku Historical Corridor. When the weather is good, you can see the #Hakodate Mountain and #Karazu Strait in the distance. On the way back, don't forget to take a break in the atrium on the first floor. The atrium is an open space with a high glass structure. The green space feels very relaxing. There are also performances to enjoy on holidays. After visiting Wulingguo Pagoda, decide whether to go to the park. There are 1,500 cherry trees planted in Wulingguo Park. Every April and May during the cherry blossom season, Wulingguo Park turns from green to pink. It is very spectacular to climb up Wulingguo Pagoda and look down. 📍Address: 44 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 🕰️Business hours: 09:00~18:00