Japan Trip: Fort Goryokaku　star shaped citadel, cherry blossom, Hakodate, Hokkaido52

Fort Goryokaku (五稜郭) is a star shaped, Western style citadel. This massive fortress was built in the last years of the Edo Period for the defense of Hakodate against the imperialist threat posed by the Western powers. A few years later, the fort became the site of a civil war between an army of the shogunate and the superior troops of the newly established Meiji government（Boshin War,戊辰戦争）.

After the fort had lost its military importance, it was eventually became a public park in the 1914. More than one thousand cherry trees were planted along its moats, making it one of Hokkaido’s best cherry blossom spots. The peak of the blooming season usually takes place around early May.
There stands the Former Magistrate Office in the center of the fort. The original building was tore down after the fall of the shogunate in 1871, but the city carefully reconstructed a part of the complex and opened it to the public in 2010.

From observation deck of the nearby Goryokaku Tower, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the huge fortress. The 107 meter tall tower replaced its 60 meter tall predecessor in 2006.

Facility Information
Goryokaku Tower
Hours: 8:00 to 19:00 (late April to late October)
9:00 to 18:00 (late October to late April)
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 840 yen

Former Magistrate Office
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from November through March)
Admission ends 15 minutes before closing.
Closed: December 31 to January 3 and a small number of irregular closing days
Admission: 500 yen

Access Information
From Hakodate Station, board the tram to “”Goryokaku Koen Mae”” (五稜郭公園前) The one-way Journey takes 10 minutes with a cost of 230 yen. From where the fortress is another ten minutes on foot.

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