Goryokaku Fortress - Hakodate, Hokkaido

The Goryokaku Fortress in Hakodate, Hokkaido was built by Takeda Ayasaburo 武田 斐三郎 between 1855 and 1866. The fortress is famous for being the location of the final battle of the Boshin War, where Tokugawa Shogunate loyalists under Hijikata Toshizo 土方 歳三 were defeated by forces fighting for the Emperor Mutsuhito (later Meiji). The loyalists had formed a government around Enomoto Takeaki, who as the first and only President of the Republic of Ezo, called Goryokaku as his capital.

On June 26th, 1869, the loyalist forces formally surrendered and the last of the civil wars that marked the Meiji era was over. Goryokaku is now a special historical site and tourist attrraction with phenomenal views of cherry blossoms in spring. More information about the fortress, and the surrounding areas, can be found on the Hokkaido page of the guide.

Goryokaku Fortress - Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan