Day 5 (Part 3): Motomachi and Suehiro can be accessed here.
Hakodate 函館
From Sapporo to Hakodate 札幌から函館まで
After a pretty long wait at Sapporo station, was finally headed to Hakodate!~ As blogged earlier, will be taking the Super Hokuto 12 Limited Express which would take about 3.5 hours to get to Hakodate. Got ready to hunker down and snooze in the train with my bento and many beverages.
Only one greyish silver commuter train stands in my way to Hakodate!
Very helpful for locating where you should be waiting.
Oh food is coming!~ (Note the ticket holders for the seats, a very useful invention for passengers)
Had actually bought this before getting on, self-heating Genghis Khan bento!~ You pull a string and the box just starts getting hot. So cool sia.
Tadah!~ The lamb slices were so succulent and tender you thought it was prepared fresh.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I thought this would be like Bikkle or the other yoghurt drinks I had previously but this was the real deal - sour and thick hahaha. Probably the healthiest drink I had on my trip.
You can buy JR goods that cannot be found elsewhere on the train too. I bought a clear file but had forgotten to take it with me when I left the train in a hurry at Hakodate. T_T
Around Hakodate station 函館駅周辺
Reached Hakodate at around 5 pm which was way later than planned for in my itinerary, so naturally was in a bit of a hurry to check in and get things back on track again. Stayed at Loisir Hotel Hakodate which was just next to the station and they likewise upgraded me to a twin room!~ My room had a really awesome view of Hakodate's surroundings and the place reminded me of Otaru in the sense that it was also a port location known for the fishing and commercial trade. In fact, it was one of the first Japanese harbour cities to open to international trade after the period of isolationism (also known as sakoku 鎖国).
Loisir Hotel Hakodate from the station
Greeting by a most lovely chandelier
I paid 5,000 yen (about 63 SGD) for a single room but got a twin room on the highest floor. Can't complain. ^^
The morning market is on the foreground and Hotel Toyoko Inn in the right background
The lovely Hakodate port at dusk
Hakodate streetcars 函館ストリートカー
Saw too many unique and lovely streetcars in Hakodate, so much so they deserve their own little subsection in this post. There used to be 6 lines with 12 routes, spanning 17.9 km but now there are only 4 lines with 2 routes, namely Route 2 (Yunokawa - Yachigashira) and Route 5 (Yunokawa - Hakodate dokku-mae). The streetcars come once every 10 minutes and fares cost between 200 yen (about 3 SGD) to 250 yen (about 4 SGD).
The streetcar stop for Hakodate station was just a little ways down the hotel.
My favourite!~ Domo-kun ^^
Around Jujigai 十字街周辺
The original plan was to head to Suehiro first and visit some of the attractions there before the 5 pm closing time but this was no longer feasible. So decided to head straight to my early dinner venue before going up to Mt. Hakodate!~ The Jujigai streetcar station area is a pretty famous photo location for Hakodate due to the ornate and well preserved Redevelopment Building. Due to its proximity to the attractions in the Suehiro streetcar station area, there are also quite a number of hotels here.
The dome shaped redevelopment building in the background
There's also a Sakamoto Ryoma memorial museum here which I heard was worth a visit. Sadly enough, it was closed by the time I got there. More info here, sadly enough they don't have an English website.
The Mt. Hakodate ropeway in the near (?) distance
Sold out, and closed for the day. ))): For those interested to visit, go early and here's the details:
Indian Curry Koike 印度カレー小いけ 本店
Address: 北海道函館市宝来町22-4
Mt. Hakodate 函館山
The views from Mt. Hakodate are supposed one of the best three views in Japan and rightfully so. But first, I had to hike about 10 minutes uphill to get to the ropeway station as I missed the free shuttle bus (which I believed depart every 20 minutes). The round trip fare for Mt. Hakodate costs 1,200 yen (about 15 SGD) but I managed to find another e-voucher online for 1,000 yen (about 13 SGD). Important to check online for the timed discount vouchers that may be available before you head over. From the mountain you get a great view of Hakodate flanked by the Hakodate bay on the left and the Tsugaru straits on the right. On an especially clear day, you could even see Mt. Esan in the far right and also the Goryokaku tower towards the far middle. Was really happy that I managed to get there before the sun set as it was a really awesome experience witnessing the transition from daylight to darkness as the multitude of lights began spreading across the peninsula. Definitely worth your time here.
Taken during mid-ascent from the ropeway car
Hakodate port in its full splendour
Was quite foggy due to the cold weather, but still a great view!~
I thought that the Green Island (Midori no Shima) to the bottom left of the picture was Goryokaku ^^;
Drinking in the lovely scenery at 334 m above sea level ^^
As the day darkens the lights come on
Most of the photos turned out a bit blurry, probably because of my hands shaking due to the cold but it's definitely worth heading up if you are in the area despite the pretty expensive ropeway fee.
For a most lovely dining experience overlooking Hakodate, click here.
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