Hakodate Attractions | Hakodate | Mt. Hakodate Million-Dollar Night View | Goryokaku | Hakodate Morning Market | Hachiman-zaka Slope | Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse & Must-Try Cheesecake | Lucky Pierrot Burger | Hokkaido Attractions
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| Mt. Hakodate Million-Dollar Night View |
Hakodate, located at the southern tip of Hokkaido, is a charming city that blends history, a harbor and stunning night views. On this Hokkaido trip, Hakodate was our very first stop. Since we didn't arrive in the city until the evening of the first day, we only had one full day left to explore Hakodate, so we focused on just a few of the most important sights we most wanted to see: the Mt. Hakodate million-dollar night view, Hachiman-zaka Slope, the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse and Goryokaku, along with the locally famous "Hakodate Morning Market" and "Lucky Pierrot Burger."
Must-Visit Attractions
- Lucky Pierrot Burger
- Hakodate Morning Market
- Goryokaku
- Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
- Hachiman-zaka Slope
- Mt. Hakodate Million-Dollar Night View
Itinerary Reference
- Breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market
- Goryokaku & Goryokaku Tower
- Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
- Pastry Snaffle's
- Petite Merveille
- Hachiman-zaka Slope
- Mt. Hakodate Million-Dollar Night View
Lucky Pierrot Burger
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| Lucky Pierrot Burger: Hakodate Station Branch |
Praised by locals as a soul food and repeatedly voted by Japanese gourmets as the best burger in all of Japan, "Lucky Pierrot Burger" has 17 branches—but all of them are located only in Hakodate. In other words, it's a burger shop you can only eat at in Hakodate, and it's definitely one of the must-try foods that always shows up when you search for Hakodate cuisine!
Branch locations: https://luckypierrot.jp/ch/shop/
Every Lucky Pierrot branch has a very distinctive (?) style—besides being plastered all over with all kinds of advertisements and introductions, the shops are also full of all sorts of different merchandise, which is quite special.
Among them, the items everyone recommends trying are: the Chinese Chicken Burger, the Fried Egg Burger, and the Lucky Fries:
At first I expected the flavors to be about the same as Taiwan's Laya Burger or MWEDaan, but to my surprise it turned out to be noticeably tastier than expected. If you visit Hakodate, it's worth trying for a meal.
Hakodate Morning Market
Hakodate Morning Market official website: https://www.hakodate.travel/cht/sightseeing-spots/shopping-spot/hakodate-morning-market/
Opening hours: 5:00am - 2:00pm (mainly depending on each shop)
The Hakodate Morning Market began after World War II. In 1945 a morning market started to flourish at a corner of the plaza in front of Hakodate Station, and later in 1956 it moved to its present location in Wakamatsu-cho, developing steadily ever since. Today it has 250 shops. Best known for its fresh seafood, it's also where you can find delicious ingredients from Hakodate and Hokkaido such as vegetables, fruits, snacks and dried goods—making it one of the must-visit spots for tourists coming to Hakodate.
The market also has a very special squid-fishing experience, where you can use a fishing rod to catch a live squid, and the shop will cook it fresh on the spot. In addition, the Donburi Yokocho market within the Hakodate Morning Market offers many affordable and hearty seafood dishes, and many people come here to enjoy breakfast.
The morning market has everything you could want. Besides seafood and local specialties, there are also many freshly cut fruits you can buy and enjoy right away. In addition, there are many small shops around the market's outer edge serving all kinds of fresh seafood dishes that you can also enjoy here.
Goryokaku
Goryokaku is a star-shaped fort built by the Edo shogunate at the end of Japan's Edo period, on the outskirts of what is now Hakodate City in Hokkaido. Goryokaku has been designated a Special Historic Site by the Japanese government, and in 1914 it was converted into Goryokaku Park and opened to the public, becoming a place of relaxation for Hakodate residents and one of the city's representative tourist attractions.
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| Goryokaku Tower |
If you want to photograph the full Goryokaku, you absolutely must go up to the Goryokaku Tower observation deck—from here you can see the entire star fort, which is also the most iconic must-shoot angle you often see on postcards.
A loop around Goryokaku Park is about 1.8 km. Many people jog or walk their dogs here, and it's a great place to take a slow stroll around on a nice day. There are also benches along the way where you can sit down and rest anytime.
Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
Another of the most iconic spots not to be missed is the "Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse (Kanemori Aka Renga Souko)" by the bay. This row of red brick buildings is not just a warehouse complex—it has been an important stage witnessing the city's rise, fall and transformation from the 19th century to today. Now it has been converted into a cultural and creative district combining shopping, dining and performance spaces. It's a bit like Taipei's Songshan Cultural Park, but with an added touch of the romance of an exotic port.
The history of Kanemori Warehouse can be traced back to the opening of Hakodate Port in 1859, when Kumashiro Watanabe, who came from Nagasaki, established the first commercial warehouse here, witnessing Hakodate's journey from a trading port to a modern city. The buildings you see today are what has been preserved after the 1909 reconstruction.
The entire warehouse complex is divided into four main areas:
- BAY Hakodate: dessert shops and curated goods.
- Kanemori Yobutsukan: over 20 small shops, plus a building-block experience room and a Santa Claus mailbox.
- Hakodate History Plaza: has a beer hall and local cuisine, where you can drink craft beer exclusive to Hakodate.
- Kanemori Hall: hosts occasional concerts and performances.
Refer to the official website: https://hakodate-kanemori.com/tw
There are two must-try cheesecakes here, Pastry Snaffle's and Petite Merveille, both famous Hokkaido souvenirs. While you're shopping, why not sit down and take a break to enjoy some afternoon tea time?
Pastry Snaffle's
Petite Merveille
Hachiman-zaka Slope
Hachiman-zaka is a classic scene that frequently appears in films, Japanese dramas and commercials. Its most famous view is that of an entirely straight street running directly down to the harbor, with ships and the sea visible at the far end. The name Hachiman-zaka comes from a "Hakodate Hachiman-gu" shrine that once stood at the top of the slope. Although the shrine is no longer there, this slope has become a symbol of Hakodate's Motomachi district.
After walking up Hachiman-zaka, since we were heading straight to take the ropeway up Mt. Hakodate next, walking back down to the harbor would mean climbing back up the slope again. So it's best to head straight across from the top of Hachiman-zaka.
We randomly found a place called Sakura-Ya (tea house), a café converted from an old traditional house. Its exterior is understated and restrained, and inside is a Japanese-style wooden space paired with dim, warm lighting—giving it a rare sense of tranquility.
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| Whale Soup |
Mt. Hakodate Million-Dollar Night View
Mt. Hakodate Night View | One of the World's Three Great Night Views
The highlight of a visit to Hakodate is undoubtedly the Mt. Hakodate night view, hailed as one of the world's three great night views. Mt. Hakodate stands 334 meters tall—not very high—but because the city happens to be flanked on both sides by bays, looking down over the whole city from the summit is like seeing a glittering jewel lying amid the night. This scenery has earned Hakodate's night view a place alongside Hong Kong and Naples as one of the "world's three great night views."
The best time to go up is from afternoon to dusk, because you can first catch a glimpse of the full harbor panorama in daylight, then sit at the observation deck and slowly wait for the sunset, watching the entire city shift from orange-gold to deep blue. Afterward the streets light up one lamp at a time, as if someone were quietly lighting up a map beneath the starry sky.
The most convenient way up Mt. Hakodate is to take the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway, which reaches the summit station in about 3 minutes. You can also choose to drive, take a bus or hike, but some roads are closed in winter, so the ropeway is recommended as the best option.
Overview of a Non-Driving Hokkaido Itinerary
More Japan Accommodation & Attraction References
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