The Goryokaku Tower.....

As pakdokter had reported earlier, the Northern part of Japan had a freak snowstorm on Friday evening and the cold front reached Hakodate Saturday morning causing the temperature to go down to low teens. All of us slept till late morning that we missed the breakfast. We went out in the afternoon, hopped on to the European-style tram that took us to the Goryokaku Tower and the Goryokaku Fort of Hakodate.

As narrated by two taxi drivers who took us around the next 2 days - the importance of Hakodate, as far Hokkaido is concerned, is the fact that it has so much of history. Compared to Sapporro, which is another famous tourist site in Hokkaido, Sapporro had to create its 'ice carving' festival in winter to make it into a tourist destination. It has nothing of history to be talked about.

Before the era of Imperial Japan, Japan was ruled by 5 Shoguns who were always in conflict with one another. In order to put a stop to this continous warfare, it was decided that Japan be united under the rule of an Emperor.

Except for Hokkaido which is in the Ezo northern region of Japan which continued to remain an autonomous region under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate although they did recognise the rule of the Imperial Ruler.

The Tokugawa Shogunate opened up Hakodate to foreigners - one of the earliest to establish a formal trade treaty being Admiral/Commodore Perry from the USA. Due to its open policy, Hakodate became a prosperous trading port as well as a centre for higher learning. Many European influence were brought in as evidenced from the many remaining art-neuveaux buildings still standing in the city.

The Hakodate government also commissioned the construction of the Goryokaku Fort to protect the Magistrate Office which was located within this fort.

This fort became the centrepoint of subsequent battles when rebels from shoguns who disagreed with the installation of an Emperor to rule Japan staged a rebellion and took over Hakodate. Subsequently, a garrison of commandos from the Imperial Army came and sacked these rebellious soldiers of the former shoguns out of Hakodate.

The Goryokaku Tower is a modern building quite like the Telecoms Tower of KL. It has a viewing deck allowing a panoramic view of the star-shaped Goryokaku Fort below as well as the city and port of Hakodate in the distance. The history of Hakodate is presented in a comics form on this viewing deck. Thanks to Rastam, pakdokter was able to follow the story of this comic strip which was all written in Japanese.

the Goryokaku Tower....

the star-shaped Goryokaku Fort below...

Hakodate city...

panoramic view of Hakodate...