Hakodate is also famous for its warehouses made of red brick.  This is of great interest if you live in a country where most buildings are concrete. If you’re from England, it’s a little strange to see people oohing and aahing over a brick wall. ( I shall resist starting a rant about the ugliness of most modern Japanese buildings.)

Brick wall in a sea of concrete

Another building of note in Hakodate is the Goryokaku Tower. Constructing a new tower in Hakodate had seemed to me a little redundant as there is a mountain if you want night views of the city. However, the reason for the tower, and it’s pentagonal design is that it overlooks the Goryokaku Park and Fort. The fort is surrounded by a moat in the shape of a five pointed star (although it does have an extra mini point at the entry).

Goryokaku Tower, Hakodate, Hokkaido

The building at the centre of the star is a reconstruction of the Hakodate Magistrate’s Office.

Goryokaku Park, Hakodate, Hokkaido

After visiting Goryokaku Park I decided to head up Hakodate mountain again to see if I could get the classic night view shot. The sky was reasonably clear when I set off, but it wasn’t long until the clouds started rolling in.

Above the clouds on Mt. Hakodate

I never got the classic night view photograph, but I’m pretty happy with this out of the mist shot.  Always a good idea to try and work with the weather rather than against it.