Goryokaku Tower

The basics

As well as two observation decks, the Goryokaku Tower is home to the Goryokaku Historic Corridor exhibition space, which provides insights into the history of Goryokaku, and the See-Through Floor, through which you can look down at the city below. A visit here is a great way to get your bearings in Hakodate and learn a little about the history of the city and Japan. A trip up the tower is a common feature of sightseeing tours around Hakodate.

Things to know before you go

• Facilities include two restaurants, an ice cream parlor, and a gift store.

• Free Wi-Fi is available in the tower.

• Goryokaku Tower is wheelchair-accessible.

• You can store belongings in coin-operated lockers.

How to get there

The tower is north of the city center. From JR Hakodate train station, you can take a Hakodate City Tram to Goryokaku Park and walk for around 10 minutes. Goryokaku Tower does not have private parking facilities but there's paid parking across the street from the Hakodate City Central Library.

When to get there

Goryokaku Tower is open seven days a week, year-round (including holidays), from morning until evening. Surrounded by more than 1,500 cherry trees, the park is particularly beautiful during cherry blossom season from late April to early May. Winter is also magical as the Hoshi no Yume Illumination event lights up the moat with nearly 2,000 lights to create a star-shaped illumination.

How to visit Goryokaku Park

After admiring Goryokaku from above, it’s well worth exploring the former fort, which was constructed in 1855 to defend Hokkaido against possible invasion by Russia; it was also the site of a civil war between the shogunate’s soldiers and the imperial troops of the Meiji government. In the center, you’ll find the Former Magistrate Office, a beautiful reconstruction of the building from where the officers of the shogunate used to administer the island of Hokkaido.