Goryokaku Park in Hakodate Gives You a 360-Degree View of the Snow-Covered Star-Shaped Park!
Goryokaku Park is one of the many tourist attractions one can visit at any given season. While it is mostly known for its beaming cherry blossoms during spring, winter in the park is splattered and covered with elegant white snow giving that haunting yet amusing walking experience.
Winter in the park is a completely different scene compared to the spring season. Thousands of cherry blossoms aren’t in full bloom but instead, their branches are covered with glittering snow.
During the winter season, you can catch the Dream of Pentagonal Stars or also known as Hoshi-no-Yume where 2,000 lights illuminate the star-shaped moat and you can witness and find a good view of it at the Goryokaku Tower.
Goryokaku Tower stands 107 meters tall and is considered as an observatory of the park and the nearby cities. The first floor of the tower is dedicated to Goryokaku’s various original goods.
They have an observatory shop, a cafe, and an atrium where you can find various food and beverage shops. On the second floor of the tower is the exhibition space where you’ll find Goryokaku’s History corridor.
Here you can learn Hakodate’s history through various photos, diagrams, statues, and models. It is also the best place to get a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking star-shaped park.
If you’re eyeing to catch the lights illuminate at the park, it is best to visit during the sunset.
General Information:
Address: 43-9, Goryokaku-Cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
Business hours: 8 am to 7 pm (April 21 to Oct 20); 9 am to 6 pm (Oct 21 to April 20)
Admission: ¥ 900 (Adults); ¥680 (high school students); ¥450 (elementary students)
Nearest station: Goryokaku Koen Iriguchi (Hakodate bus)
This first appeared in Philippine Primer’s English Magazine May 2020 issue.
Written by Denisse Tenorio
