41.8° N
Hokkaido, Japan
A town of slopes and a harbour. Shops in old merchant houses and storehouses in the Seibu district, and coffee and chocolate around Goryokaku — Rin’s picks.
Where Rin would go, on the map — or build your own route
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Where Rin would go
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Made in Hakodate
In 1925 Carl Raymon, a master butcher born in Bohemia, opened a ham shop in front of Hakodate station. After the war he started again beside his house in Motomachi. A Hakodate company still makes hams and sausages by his German methods, and his old factory site in Motomachi holds a shop and a small museum.
Seibu district
The shop of Hakodate Carl Raymon, on the Motomachi site where Raymon restarted production after the war. Grilled sausages downstairs; upstairs, a free history exhibition.
RinEat the grilled sausage on the spot. Upstairs is free.
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Seibu district
A craft shop run by the potter Morito Domae, in the old Umetsu Shoten building put up after the 1934 fire. Pots from the studio behind the courtyard, and crafts by makers from across Japan.
RinStart with the pots made here.
Seibu district
Antiques in a black-plastered storehouse built in 1905 for a pawnshop: Japanese and Western pieces, old kimono and cloth. The tearoom Sabo Hishii is in the same storehouse. Closed on Wednesdays.
RinWhen you are done, sit down in the tearoom in the same storehouse.
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Seibu district
A bakery partway up a slope of Mount Hakodate. Homemade wild yeast, Hokkaido wheat, salt and water only, baked in a wood-fired oven. A potter’s gallery shares the room.
RinCut the campagne thick.
Goryokaku
A chocolate shop near Goryokaku: bonbons, baked sweets, cakes and baumkuchen. Closed on Thursdays, some Wednesdays. From mid-April to the end of September an ice-cream shop opens next door.
RinOne at a time, not a box.
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Seibu district
A Spanish bar and restaurant at the foot of the Daisan-zaka slope, in the old Fukaya rice shop. The chef is Koji Fukaya. Closed on Mondays and the first Tuesday of the month.
RinOne pintxo, one glass of wine. Standing is fine.
Seibu district
Hakodate shio ramen in a building that opened about 90 years ago as the Yamazaki tailor’s. A broth of ma-konbu kelp and dried scallop, seasoned with salts from three places in Hokkaido.
RinThe name says tailor. Order the shio.
Seibu district
A sukiyaki house opposite the Horaicho tram stop since 1901, eaten in tatami rooms. Its butcher’s counter also sells croquettes and other ready food. Closed on Wednesdays.
RinFor lunch, a weekday. Thirty a day.
Goryokaku
Two minutes’ walk from the Goryokaku-koen-mae tram stop. Japanese plates of fish brought in by the owner, a fisherman, and stone-oven pizza made with Hokkaido wheat. Closed on Sundays.
RinCheck the board for today’s fish before ordering sashimi.
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Seibu district
A coffee shop on the Hachiman-zaka slope in Motomachi that roasts its own beans dark.
RinIf unsure, take the darkest.
Goryokaku
A Honcho roaster that buys only specialty-grade coffee. One blend is sold only at this branch. Closed on Thursdays and the second and fourth Wednesdays.
RinFor beans, the blend sold only here.
By area
Rin is a fictional traveller. Every place here was checked by the editors to exist and be open (checked 2026-11-11). Please confirm hours on the official site before you go. Paid listings are always marked.
To see — art and sights (landmarks)
Sights · Goryokaku
Hakodate Magistrate’s Office
The shogunate’s magistrate’s office inside Goryokaku. Completed in 1864 and taken down in 1871, one third of it was rebuilt with period methods in 2010.
Closed on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Open until 5 pm from November to March.
Sights · Seibu district
Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward
A wooden Western-style hall built in 1910 after the fire of 1907, for the town’s gatherings and its chamber of commerce. A national Important Cultural Property.
Because of works, the theatre room and part of the route are closed from 21 October 2026. Closed on Tuesday 17 November.
Art · Goryokaku
Hakodate Museum of Art, Hokkaido
Hokkaido’s prefectural art museum in Hakodate, opened in 1986. It collects art linked to southern Hokkaido, calligraphy and East Asian art, and contemporary art about letters and signs.
Art · Seibu district
Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples
A city museum of the peoples of the north, in the former Bank of Japan Hakodate branch, built in 1926.
Closed for maintenance on 8 December and 12–19 December 2026 (planned).
Sights · Seibu district
Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse
The Kanemori company’s brick warehouses on the harbour. The firm began warehousing in 1887; the buildings were rebuilt in 1909 after the 1907 fire and have held shops and restaurants since 1988.
These are landmarks, not Rin's picks. Each was checked to be open on its official site (checked 2026-11-11). Please confirm hours before you go.