5 Best Sights in Hokkaido, Japan

Bright-red crabs wave giant claws from old fishing boats filled with water, squid dart furiously around restaurant tanks, and samples of dried octopus parts are piled high—it's all at Hokkaido's largest public fish market, located one block from Hakodate Station. It opens at dawn; if you can stomach it, try a fish-on-rice breakfast. Asa-ichi, which also has a fruit-and-vegetable section, stays active until 2 pm.

A green Byzantine dome and tower rise above this beautiful white Hakodate Russian Orthodox Church. The present building dates from 1916, and donations help with the upkeep of one of the city's most exotic attractions. If you're less orthodox, the Episcopal and Catholic churches sit on either side. Extensive renovations took place until the end of 2022. Services are held Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday at 10 am.

On the cobbled waterfront of Motomachi, the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses now bustle with shops, bars, and restaurants. Enjoy harbor cruises, cheer on street entertainers, or poke your head into glassblowing studios. In December there's a giant Canadian Christmas tree and nightly fireworks. The place is a 1½-km (1-mile) walk from Hakodate Station.

Overlooking the western bay at the foot of Mt. Hakodate is a 2-square-km (1-square-mile) area of wide, sloping brick- and stone-paved streets lined with the 19th-century churches, stately consulates, interesting shops, and homes of the Japanese and other nationalities who first opened up this part of Japan to commerce. Return here at night when the illuminated buildings show why Hakodate is a favorite filming location for romantic movies and TV shows.

The most interesting historic buildings and museums are the Old Public Hall (Kyu Hakodate-ku Kokaido 旧函館区公会堂), with the Emperor's Toilet; the Old British Consulate (Kyu Igirisu Ryojikan 旧イギリス領事館), a nice place for tea and scones; and the Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples (Hakodate Hoppo Minzoku Shiryokan 函館市北方民族資料館). They can be visited with combined tickets. To visit Motomachi, get off the streetcar at the Suehiro-cho stop.

Rated as one of Japan's three finest night views, the Mount Hakodate Observatory delivers sweeping views of urban Hakodate and the surrounding mountains and ocean after dark. The easiest way to get to the viewpoint is to take the cable car from the base of the mountain. Depending on the season, it operates until 9 or 10 pm daily.