Hakodate Photo Gallery

Welcome to the deserted city centre. Seemed even more quiet than Sapporo down here. Hakodate is not a particularly large city but I was surprised it felt even more dead than a quiet town.

Streets move uphill into the foreign residents' district. Hakodate was an open port for trade and traders from Russia, China, and the West, who left their mark in the city.

The Old Russian Consulate was in use from 1908 to 1944. Normally, it is not open to the public, but I was lucky as they opened their doors for an exhibition to revitalize the structure.

Construction of the Old Public Hall began in 1909 and was completed in the following year. The main building is a 2-storey symmetrical structure with a balcony that offers a commanding view of the port. It was used as accomodations for the Imperial family several times.

The concert hall occupies the upper floor.

From this part of town, the entire city can be seen, albeit from a different perspective than up Mount Hakodate.

The Old Branch Office of Hokkaido Government was built in 1909 and is now a tourist information office on the ground floor and a photography museum upstairs. Corinthian columns mark the entrance.

The British Consulate first opened in Hakodate in 1859. Rebuilt following fires, the current building opened in 1913 and served its purpose until 1934. The prominence of the British is clearly seen as this building is only steps from the Public Hall.

Hakodate's port opened to foreign trade in 1859. Kumashiro Watanabe came to the city from Nagasaki in 1863 and began his warehousing business in 1887. These 7 Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses were rebuilt in 1909 as trade flourished but they no longer serve their original purpose. Today, they house about 50 restaurants and shops.

The Old Central Post Office was completed in 1911 but is now a shopping mall also.

This cute little museum has many artifacts from yesteryear.

Motomachi district is home to many examples of Western architecture. Originally founded by the Russian Consulate in 1859, this Orthodox Church was completed in 1916.

Originally founded by an English priest who visited the city in 1874, the Episcopal Church is a relatively new structure, completed in 1979.

The Motomachi Roman Catholic Church was completed in 1924 although the original Catholic church was first founded in 1877.

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