Night views, morning market & seafood
Hakodate
函館 · Hillside port & harbor lights
A historic port at the southern tip of Hokkaido, one of the first Japanese cities opened to foreign trade. Hakodate is loved for its hillside of Western-style buildings, a legendary night view and a seafood market to rival any in Japan.
Top sightsSights
Mount Hakodate night view
A ropeway to a summit panorama often ranked among the world’s best night views.
Hakodate Morning Market
Sprawling stalls of crab, uni and squid — try catching your own squid to eat.
Motomachi District
Sloping streets of churches, consulates and Western merchant houses.
Goryokaku Fort
A star-shaped Western-style fort, spectacular ringed with cherry blossoms.
Red Brick Warehouses
Waterfront brick warehouses turned into shops and cafes.
What to eatFood
Uni & kaisen-don
Sea urchin and seafood rice bowls from the morning market.
Hakodate shio ramen
A clear, delicate salt-based ramen said to have originated here.
Squid
Ultra-fresh squid, sometimes still moving — a local specialty.
Good to know
- Go up Mount Hakodate at dusk to catch both sunset and the night lights.
- The morning market winds down by early afternoon — go early.
- Reachable from Tokyo via the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate (~4h).
Getting there
Hakodate Airport (HKD) and the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (~4h from Tokyo).
Next city
Beppu