CastleHakodate · JP
Goryokaku Half Moon Fort
Goryokaku is Japan's first Western-style star fort—a vast pentagonal citadel with projecting bastions, built in 1864 on the eve of the Meiji Restoration and today a tranquil, free public park at the heart of Hakodate. Its dramatic history as the last battleground of the old shogunate, its geometric moats and earthworks, and roughly 1,500 cherry trees make it one of Hokkaido's most rewarding sights. The catch is that you cannot see the star from the ground. Climb the nearby 107-metre Goryokaku Tower for the aerial reveal, then walk the tree-lined ramparts at your own pace, stop inside the beautifully reconstructed Hakodate Magistrate's Office, and time your visit to catch spring blossoms, autumn colour or the winter "Hoko no Yume" illumination.