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It was really very late when we arrived at Hakodate. Most of the shops were either closed or closing, saved for a few pubs and convenience stores. Thank goodness there was still a small ramen shop we could hop in and have dinner.
The night of Hakodate was so peaceful, hardly anyone on the streets. We carefreely strolled down one side of a street and then returned to our hotel on another side. That was how easy being in Hakodate.
Mount Hakodate
We decided to start our day trip at the summit of Mount Hakodate where we could have a bird's eye view of the city. It was only then that I realised the city was actually situated at the neck of a peninsular.
However, to reach the designated point of view was no easy task and the hard part was not going up the mountain. There was a cable car system called the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway but to get to the ropeway station at the foot of the mountain incurred walking up one of the steepest slopes I had ever seen and tried climbing. This was another moment where travelling in a big group was beneficial for having enough manpower to wheel up.
Hakodate City Walk
I managed to find a city walk guide online (see attached) and we agreed to follow it, albeit in the reverse direction. There was no way we could see everything so we picked and chose specific points of interests. We strolled along the narrow streets of the Motomachi district and I found myself in front of:
- Japan Anglican Church Hakodate Episcopal Church
- Hakodate Russian Orthodox Church
- Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward
- Old British Consulate
- Hakodate City Museum of Literature
and not entering as most were old buildings with steps.
We planned to go to the Hakodate Nishihatoba Museum, a private art museum, but we sure had lousy luck with museums as it was closed on that day. What's wrong with us an art museums especially?!
We walked along the wharf towards our hotel, taking note of any restaurant we would like to have dinner in. There were plenty of restaurants opened but not many carried the crabs we had cravings for. The biggest one that seemed to be famous for crabs was closed for renovations so we simply picked one that had its fare of live seafood displayed outside in tanks.
It was at the wharf we discovered shops that were great for buying souvenirs and did our fair share of shopping.
Wheelchair Accessibility
The accommodation and public transport were similar to the other Hokkaido cities I have described previously so I will not repeat myself here. The roads and sidewalks were of similar conditions, might be slightly not as well-maintained, but still very wheel-able. That's why I decided to go on a solo trek to the seaside on the opposite side of the peninsular to the wharf the following morning, before our train to Tokyo.
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