Hakodate Travel Guide

Getting There

By JR Train -- From Tokyo, take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hachinohe (3 hr.), then transfer to a direct train for Hakodate (about 3 hr.). The total fare for a reserved seat is ¥18,750 ($156/£78). There are also night trains (the Hokutosei) that depart Ueno Station in Tokyo at 4:20 and 7:03pm, arriving in Hakodate the next morning at 4:33 and 6:34am respectively and costing ¥23,180 ($193/£97); if you have a JR Rail Pass, you pay only the ¥12,150 ($101/£50) sleeping-car surcharge. Hakodate is about 3 1/2 hours from Sapporo, Hokkaido's largest city.

By Plane -- JAL flies from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Hakodate in 1 1/4 hours for ¥28,800 ($240/£120). Limousine buses travel to JR Hakodate Station in 20 minutes for (¥400/$3.35/£1.70).

Getting Around

With the exception of Mount Hakodate, the most pleasant way to see Hakodate is on foot. The city is easy to navigate, and there are many English-language signs. Otherwise, streetcars are the major form of transportation (stops are announced in English), with fares starting at ¥200 ($1.65/85p); take a ticket upon entering the back door and pay when you get off. There's also a 1-day streetcar pass for ¥600 ($5/£2.50).

Visitor Information

The Tourist Information Centers located in Tokyo and at Tokyo and Osaka international airports have a leaflet called "Hakodate and Vicinity." (You can also download it from JNTO's website at www.jnto.go.jp by looking under "Browse by Destinations.") Otherwise, the Hakodate Tourist Office (tel. 0138/23-5440; daily 9am-7pm, to 5pm Nov-Mar) is inside the station to your left as you exit the wicket. It has an excellent English-language map and brochure of Hakodate and can help with accommodations. Online, check www.hakodate-kankou.com for more information.

Internet Access -- Check e-mail at HotWeb Café, 18-1 Wakamatsucho (tel. 0138/26-3591; Wed-Mon 10am-8pm), a 3-minute walk from Hakodate Station (on the left side of the road that runs between stores Wako and Boni Moriya). It charges ¥400 ($3.35/£1.70) for 1 hour with the purchase of a drink.