TRAVEL
Former Hiyama Nishi-gun Office
Former Hiyama Nishi-gun Government Office was used to be the Hiyama machi-bugyō, which functioned as magistrate’s office responsible for administration and law and order. It was also where Hijikata Toshizō worked as a troop commander during the Battle of Hakodate, a truly Shinsengumi site in Esashi, Hokkaido.
On the evening of 16 November 1868, when the Kaiyo Maru ran aground and sank, Hijikata Toshizō and Enomoto Takeaki, who were at the Hiyama Magistrate's Office, immediately rushed outside. They could only stare helplessly at the daunting shipwreck of the frigate which had been considered as the major defence force of the shogunate in the coming battles. It is said that Hijikata Toshizō, in utter frustration, gave the pine tree a clout in a fit of anger in front of the gate. The trunk of the pine tree has grown a fist-sized burl ever since and the existing is affectionately known as "The Wailing Pine of Hijikata Toshizō." Looking towards the sea from its window, it shared the same direction as what Hijikata Toshizō saw at that time. The office was later demolished.
The former Hiyama Nishi-gun Government Office, now also known as the Esashi Town Folk Museum, was built in 1887 during the Meiji era and is a tangible cultural asset of Hokkaido. The museum displays various historical and cultural artefacts related to Esashi's nature, history and residents. Adorning the walls and ceilings are colourful Momotaro-pattern wallpaper, preserving the look and feel of the environment at that time. The building underwent restoration in 1993.
Former Hiyama Nishi-gun Government Office
Address: 112 Nakautamachi, Esashi-cho
Operating hours: 0900 to 1700
Closed on: No closure from April to October; Mondays, the day after national holidays, and New Year holidays from November to the following March (December 31 to January 5)
Admission fee: 300 yen (adult), 100 yen (student)
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