Japan Day 5: Hakodate

January 5.

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The earliest train that will take me to Hakodate is at 8:39am, which is later than I want it to be, but it all works out because I can have breakfast ramen in Sapporo. Isonokatsuo Ramen, or at least I'm pretty sure that's where I ate. I went to the shop that google maps and the concierge told me to on the map, but something didn't seem quite right, but regardless, I ate ramen and it was delicious.

Extra nori on my ramen at Isonokatsuo, Sapporo.

My arrival in Hakodate was about 12:30pm, which again means I'll have a short afternoon, but plenty of night activities again, which includes the big one here: Mount Hakodate at Sunset. Honestly, that's such a big ticket item for me that I literally put nothing else on my to-do list in Hakodate, and I'd just let the wind take me where it pleased. Luckily for me, as soon as I stepped off the train, it showed me an advertisement for a really rad observation tower and park, so off we go!

I specifically booked a hotel right across the street from the station to make it easier to drop my bags as well as head out in the morning, so after a quick pitstop I arrived at Goryokaku, or the Star Fort of Hakodate. The park itself has a weird six sided shape, but the fort's walls are lined up as a star, and in the summer it's absolutely gorgeous. In the winter, it's still very pretty, but mostly just white.

Goryokaku, and Obsertation Tower shadow, Hakodate.

Goryokaku is home to the last battle of the Japanese Revolution, the Boshin War. During the Battle of Goryokaku, the rebels holding the fort, vastly outnumbered by the incoming Imperial Army, were able to hold the fort for nearly a week before being forced into surrender. This is because the star shape of the fortress allowed additional gun turret locations and less blind spots, but where the Imperial Army had a huge advantage late in the war, it was only a matter of time until defeat and the end of the war.

On my way back down to the hotel to check into my room and prepare to head out to Mount Hakodate, I stopped in a Mister Donut, strictly based on the advertisement for Pokemon donuts. Mister Donut used to be all over the US, and especially in the Boston area (it was founded by the brother-in-law of the creator of Dunkin Donuts), but Mister Donut was sold off in the US by an investment firm which virtually converted them all to Dunkin Donuts. Mister Donut has 1,300 locations in Japan. There is one in the US, just outside St. Louis.

Mister Donut, Hakodate.

I don't like the donuts that I bought, I ate them because I don't like to waste food, but the specialty donuts taste very waxy, and the custard filling just missed the mark for me completely. According to the people of Japan though, they love these specialty donuts. Officially, looking back on the entirety of my trip, this is the only thing I ate on the entire trip that I did not enjoy.

After the pit stop at the hotel, I made it over to Mount Hakodate. There's a ropeway that will take you to the top, and sunset is the most popular time that visitors head to the Mountain, so I made sure to be there a little early so I wouldn't have to wait in a huge line, which thankfully, I didn't. The car I rode up was jam packed full of locals and tourists, and arriving a bit before sunset gave me the opportunity to catch the view in the daytime, as well as at night. It's considered one of the top views in all of Japan, and photos will never do it justice:

Just me and a bunch of tourists on the ropeway, Mount Hakodate.

Mount Hakodate Observatory view.

Mount Hakodate Observatory view, with Asahi Beer.

Late Sunset view, Mount Hakodate Observatory.

After the trek up and down the mountain, I walked around the neighborhood at the base of the hill to see a few of the sights, and then it was in the direction of the hotel for dinner, more ramen! Yondaime Ramen was the shop just around the corner from the hotel, and they have a really good looking soy ramen on their menu, so I ordered it. It was as advertised, delicious.

Catholic Church, Hakodate.

Former Branch Office of Hokkaido Government, Hakodate.

Soy Ramen, Yondaime, Hakodate

Such a beautiful city to visit, and we're not quite done yet. There's a fish market in the morning and I'm excited to walk through and check it out before I make my way down to Tokyo.

January 5 by numbers:

• Photos: 236
• Miles walked: 8.8
• Steps: 17471
• Total Calories Burned: 4010
• Bowls of Ramen: 2

-Joe