Todd Todd saw things this way:
Overall
2
Small rural town with a nice airport, August 26, 2010
Reviewer: Todd Todd
Pros: Historical, small, easy to get around
Cons: It can be cold
Hakodate is located in very southern Hokkaido. This is the most northern of the Japanese islands. Most of what we think of as Japanese doesn't really apply to this northern town. Hakodate has a beautiful harbor. There are some lovely Victorian style homes and buildings surrounding the harbor dating from the Meiji period starting around 1860. The harbor is basically a commercial port that doesn't see that much passenger traffic. The city is a bit drab. You can feel that the winters here are long and cold. Don't expect the lively colorful street life common in other Japanese towns. There's a gondola ride to the top of the mountain that anchors the harbor. For the Japanese, the market in the morning with its huge variety of seafood and marine products is a huge attraction. There are Japanese-style hot spring resorts nearby, but these are usually only for overnight guests. The airport is close to town and fairly new. Hakodate is sometimes the last Japanese port before going on to the Russian Far East.
