Hakodate (函館市, Hakodate-shi) is a city and port located in Oshima, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.
As of March 2008, the city has an estimated population of 287,691 and a density of 442.24 persons per km². The total area is 677.77 km².
Hakodate is located in the centre of Kameda peninsula.
The city is overlooked by Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodate-yama?), a lumpy, forested mountain whose summit can be reached by hiking trail, cable car, or car. The night view from the summit is renowned in Japan as one of the best in the country, and one of the top three in the world along with Hong Kong and Naples. An obscure local nickname of the bumpy mountain is Gagyuzan (Mount Cow's Back), alluding to the way the mountain resembles a resting cow.
The former Goryukaku fort is now used in as a public park and is popular in Hokkaidō for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). Since April 2006, the park has also featured the tall, white Goryokaku Tower. Resembling an air traffic control tower, the structure offers a panoramic view of the park, including mainland Japan across the Tsugaru Strait on clear days. |
