Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Goryokaku Fort....

The Goryokaku Fort is a star-shaped citadel. It has its origins in the 16th Century Europe. A number of 'citadel cities', cities that were completely surrounded by forts, were built during this war-torn era. With the development of guns and cannons, structures that reduced the blind spots in gun battles were designed to protect these cities. Star-shaped citadels were thus created.
In Japan, people who had already come into contact with European designs and technology during the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate built Goryokaku Fort on their own. It was also built far inland enough to make it further than the reach of the guns and cannons of enemy ships.


the moat surrounding the fort...
The star-shaped fort is surrounded by a symmetrical star-shaped moat of 30 metres wide and 4 to 5 metres deep. And in the centre of the fort is the re-constructed Hakodate Magistrate's Office - the ruler of Hakodate of that time.




the Hakodate Magistrate Office....
the interior of the Magistrate Office....

the central courtyard of the Magistrate Office....




photo-modelling in front of the Magistrate's Office...

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