Hokkaido · HakodateNo.702★★★Open in map →

Goryokaku Fort

historyThe classic — done right

A five-pointed earthwork fort near the middle of Hakodate, ringed by a water moat and free to walk. The star reads only from the tower beside it; at ground level you get grass slopes, bridges and a level circuit.

FromHakodate Station
~35 minTram + walk, every 11-16 min
Get off atGoryokaku-koen-mae tram stop (Hakodate City Tram)
On foot
Goryokaku Fort

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Hakodate Magistrate's Office663highland / CC BY 2.5

Goryokaku Towerthe observation deck just outside the moat, the one vantage from which the outline reads as a star
The moat bridgethe crossing over the water that brings you inside the earthworks
Hakodate Magistrate's Officea partial reconstruction of the Edo-period government hall, the only paid building within the walls
The five bastionsfive angled earth points, the shape that gave the fort its name
The rampart circuita level path between the water and the raised earth, walkable in either direction

How to actually get there

Hakodate Station → Goryokaku-koen-mae (Hakodate City Tram toward Yunokawa, every 11-16 min, 250-300 yen).
Goryokaku-koen-mae → the entrance to the grounds (walk 15-18 min east).
Cross the moat bridge and walk the rampart circuit while the grounds are still empty.
Afterwards, go up Goryokaku Tower for the view that shows the star.

Hakodate City Tram, one line from Hakodate Station: From Hakodate-Ekimae take a tram bound for Yunokawa and get off at Goryokaku-koen-mae, about 3.5 km along the line. Daytime trams run every 11-16 minutes. Fares are zone-based, 250-300 yen at the revision of December 2025. From the stop it is a further 15-18 minutes on foot to the east.
Back from Goryokaku-koen-mae: Walk back to Goryokaku-koen-mae and take a tram toward Hakodate-Ekimae. Daytime service is frequent, but the interval stretches to about 28-30 minutes at night. If you plan to stay late, read the posted times on the way in rather than on the way out.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Goryokaku stands near the centre of Hakodate, a low earthwork laid out as a five-pointed star and held inside a water moat. The circuit around it measures about 1.8 kilometres, and the ground within the moat covers roughly 125,500 square metres. Entry to the grounds costs nothing, and the gates open early. Two paid attractions sit with it: the reconstructed magistrate's hall inside the walls, and an observation tower just outside them. Walking the fort and seeing the shape of the fort are therefore separate acts, and only the second one has to cost money.

How to enjoy it

Arrive at opening and walk the earthworks first, while the grounds are free and largely empty. The tower and the magistrate's hall begin their day later in the morning, so save the star-shaped view for afterwards. Taken in that order, the visit costs nothing until you decide it should.

Background & history

Work on the fort began in 1857, and it was completed in 1864, the year the Hakodate magistrate's office moved inside. The plan was drawn by Takeda Ayasaburo, a scholar of Western learning, after European bastion forts. In 1868 and 1869 the fort became the final stronghold of the Hakodate War. The magistrate's hall was taken down in 1871. The site was designated a Special National Historic Site in 1952, and a partial reconstruction of the hall opened in 2010.

Before you go

Cash: The grounds are free. The Hakodate Magistrate's Office and Goryokaku Tower each charge their own admission. The tram takes ICAS nimoca and the nationally interoperable IC cards such as Suica and Kitaca, as well as cash.
Good to know: The grounds keep seasonal gate hours; the Hokkaido official travel site lists 5:00-19:00 from April to October and 5:00-18:00 from November to March. In winter the ramparts and paths are under snow and ice, and the earth slopes have no lighting after dark.
Another way: Hakodate Bus stops at Goryokaku-koen-iriguchi, about 10 minutes on foot from the entrance, which is closer than the tram stop despite the tram's name. The Goryokaku Tower shuttle bus stops at the tower, about 3 minutes away.
After you get off: From Goryokaku-koen-mae, follow the main road east for 15-18 minutes. Goryokaku Tower is the landmark to walk toward, and the way into the grounds lies just beyond it.