Hakodate

Located in the south west of Hokkaido, the city of Hakodate is the gateway to the island. There are direct trains from Tokyo, taking less than seven hours, making this the perfect first stop before setting off to explore the rest of the island. There is a large western influence still felt in the city due to it being one of the first places in Japan to open up to foreign traders.

The overseas influence can be best seen in the Western style fort and the foreign population's former residential district. Notable attractions close to the city include Mount Hakodate which has stunning views of the city, particularly at night. The city has a large and varied seafood market and this is noticeable in the city's food such as Shio Ramen which uses ink stock from locally caught squid rather than the more common pork. Close to the city is Onuma Park famous for island dotted lakes and Mount Komagatake. This can be visited as a day trip from the city or on the way north towards Toya Onsen and Sapporo.