Thanks for tuning into the four vlog! Again, I’d love to hear feedback about how this different kind of content is being received.
Hakodate was really, really interesting because of its history. Japan had been (mostly) closed to foreign trade for many many years and so the fact that Hakodate was opened to foreign trade means that it, as well as the rest of Hokkaido, adopted Western culture more widely. The rose garden and the brick buildings which made a quick feature in the video were just a few examples. The architecture there was very odd-the first floor would be traditional Japanese style but then the upper floors were all Western, with window panes and storm shutters and paneled siding. Another odd example of Western integration was the creation of the first concrete Buddhist temple. Fires were a big problem and many buildings’ histories featured reconstruction so concrete was a practical solution to this. Our guide suggested however that it wasn’t very well received.
The fear of a Russian invasion was also surprisingly influential. The British consulate (or a different building—don’t quote me on this. But definitely one of the foreign governmental buildings) was moved from a very fancy location on the hill close to the port to a less desirable location because they were worried the location could be attacks from the harbor. The Goryokaku fort was from a much older period, before Hakodate opened, that was meant to prevent a blockade.
Mt. Hakodate is also fairly interested, since the volcano there has been fairly active–this is why it has a funny shape since it very famously blew off its top in a devastating eruption.
If you’re planning a trip yourself, I’d recommend Hakodate over Sapporo.
My sister really wanted to go to animal cafes. We went to a hedgehog cafe but for some reason I forgot to take videos there 🙁 The owl cafe had a woman handing out fliers that said the owls were all free to walk around, which is the only reason why we went. Come to find out a majority of the owls were tied down and only 3/4 were free to move. It was a little sad but it was quite cool to touch the owls. They are very soft and it was amusing to pat them and then have their heads turn around 360 degrees to look at you inquisitively. The hedgehog cafe was also quite fun however our hedgehogs were very tired (or possibly overwhelmed/scared? I’m not sure…) and I felt really bad constantly waking them up.
The Nezu Museum was quite cool and the extensive garden was beautiful, though quite buggy. We weren’t allowed to take photos or video inside. It started off as Nezu Kaichiro’s personal collection, and his collecting interest were primarily Chinese. If you’re looking for a museum of Japanese stuff, this museum might not be right for you. It had a really interesting exhibit on tea ceremony related utensils. Apparently certain objects used will be given names and the exhibit had the poetry pieces referenced along with an explanation. My memory may not serve perfectly, but for example, a teapot that broke and was put together might be given a name related to a work about a river that diverged because of a large boulder but eventually rejoined.
Again, thanks for watching! I really appreciate the support, as always.
Song: Ame no yoru no anata wa by Meiko Kaji
AloJapan.com