Goryokaku Tower is a 107-meter-high observation tower adjacent to Goryokaku, a special historic site.
The new tower, completed in 2006, has a star-shaped tower body and a pentagonal observation deck in reference to the ridge.
The 90-meter observation deck offers a panoramic view of the star-shaped ruins of Goryokaku and the city of Hakodate.
The pentagonal two-story observation deck offers 360-degree views of the city of Hakodate, Mount Hakodate, the Tsugaru Straits, and Hakodate Bay.
The second observation deck features the Goryokaku Historical Corridor, a permanent exhibit featuring dioramas related to Goryokaku, including the arrival of Perry to Hakodate and the Battle of Hakodate.
There is also a "Goryokaku reconstruction model (1/250 scale)" that reconstructs Goryokaku as it was when it was built, and a bronze seated statue of Hijikata Toshizo, who was known as the "devil's second-in-command" of the Shinsengumi.
Goryokaku is one of the few Western-style castles built by the Tokugawa Shogunate at the end of the Edo period for the purpose of defending the Ezo region (present-day Hokkaido).
It consists of a star-shaped structure surrounded by a water moat and one half-moon fort, inside of which buildings such as the magistrate's office were constructed.
April 21-October 20 8:00-19:00
October 21 - April 20: 9:00 - 18:00
Open all year round
Adults: 840 yen
High school students: 630 yen
Junior high school students: 630 yen
Elementary school students: 420 yen
*Free for children under elementary school age
20 minutes by bus from Hakodate Station