TRAVEL
Goryokaku
If you are visiting Hakodate of Hokkaido, you definitely should not miss Goryokaku.
In the final years of the Edo Period, on the request of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Hakodate Magistrate's Office was constructed inland within Hakodate as an administrative centre for the Shogunate. However, the primary consideration was to ensure it had a certain level of defence capability. Recognizing this need, the Shogunate invited Ayasaburo Takeda (1827-1880) to select the site and design the layout. Ayasaburo Takeda was a rare talent for the Shogunate at the time. In addition to studying Western knowledge and marine technology, he was an expert in artillery and fortress construction. He was appointed as a technical research professor at the Hakodate Shumonchojo, making design sketches with reference from European fortified cities. He enclosed the main buildings and streets with walls capable of withstanding ordinary gunfire. The star-shaped fortress design originated in Europe in the 16th century, with Italy and Spain among the first to build such fortifications, notably in Luxembourg. In Japan, apart from Hakodate's Goryokaku, the only other star-shaped fortress constructed was Ryugasaki Castle in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
Construction of Goryokaku commenced in June 1857 and completed seven years later in 1864. The original Hakodate Magistrate's Office was relocated to Goryokaku, a star-shaped fortress, to avoid potential attack from the enemy. At that time, Goryokaku not only served as a defensive fortress for Ezo (Hokkaido) but also as a political, diplomatic and military stronghold. On 26 October 1868, after Hijikata Toshizō seized power at Goryokaku Castle, it became the command centre for his forces, with the Hakodate Magistrate's Office inside the castle serving as his headquarter.
Goryokaku was designated as a Special Historic Site by the Japanese government. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of establishment of Goryokaku, Japanese Government has built the Goryokaku in 1964, housing two bronze statues of Hijikata Toshizō and the exhibition of the Battle of Hakodate. The first-floor observation deck features shops and café, while the second-floor houses the exhibition space on Goryokaku Historic Corridor. This exhibition tells the story of the Battle of Hakodate through historical photographs, timelines and commemorative dioramas depicting sixteen scenes, explaining the events and consequences of the war in detail.
Goryokaku Tower
Address: 43-9 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0001
Operating hours: 0900 to 1800
Closed on: NIL
參觀費用：大人1,000日圓，初・高中生750日圓，小學生500日圓
交通：搭乘函館巴士前往五稜郭公園入口站下車，步行約七分鐘
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