Goryokaku Tower Observation Deck
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Only from Goryokaku Tower does Hakodate's star reveal itself: the 107-metre tower stands beside Goryokaku, Japan's first Western-style fortress, and its observation deck is the one place to take in the full five-pointed figure — moats lined with over a thousand cherry trees that trace the star in pink each spring. The panorama sweeps from Mount Hakodate across the Tsugaru Strait to the Yokotsu mountains, a reinforced glass floor lets you look straight down the tower, and the History Corridor's exhibits follow the fort from shogunate stronghold to the last battle of the samurai era.
Itinerary
- Stop at: Goryokaku Tower
Frequently Asked Questions
The fort was finished in 1864 to a European bastion design — five arrow-point bastions that let defenders cover every approach with crossfire, a first for Japan. Five years later it became the last stronghold of the old shogunate's forces in the Battle of Hakodate, the closing fight of the samurai era.
Late April to early May, when Hokkaido's late-blooming cherry trees flood the moats and the star turns pink — one of Japan's last hanami of the season. Autumn repaints it in reds, and on winter evenings the moats are outlined in lights, drawing the star against the snow.
The two-level observation deck sits at 90 metres: floor-to-ceiling windows over the fort and the city, a reinforced glass floor for a straight-down view, the History Corridor's models and exhibits on the fort's story, and a statue of Hijikata Toshizo, the shogunate commander who fell at Hakodate. A gift shop with Hakodate souvenirs waits below.
Take the tram from Hakodate Station to the Goryokaku-Koen-mae stop — about 15 minutes — then walk ten minutes or so up to the tower at the park's edge. It pairs naturally with a stroll along the fort's moats and ramparts afterwards.