Melon Journey: Day 5 (Hakodate)

Refer to below links for more Hokkaido summer trip blogs:

1. Our Pre Wedding Photoshooting Memories: Pre Wedding Photoshooting Blog
2. Executive Summary: Executive Summary Blog

3. Day 1 & 2 (Furano): Day 1&2 (Furano) Blog

4. Day 3 (Furano & Biei): Day 3 (Furano & Biei) Blog

5. Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo): Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo) Blog

6. Day 5 (Hakodate): Day 5 (Hakodate) Blog
7. Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu): Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu) Blog
8. Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport): Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport) Blog

9. Top Foods in Hokkaido: Top Foods in Hokkaido Blog

10. Top Dessert in Hokkaido: Top Dessert in Hokkaido

Itinerary Summary:

Day 5 (Hakodate):

Hakodate Asaichi Morning Market → Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse → Motamachi Hachiman Zaka Slope→ Hakodate Orthodox Church → Hakodate Episcopal Church → Mt. Hakodate Ropeway

As soon as we have finished our pre wedding photoshoot, we have travelled all the way to Hokkaido southern top called Hakodate. The car journey took us around 5 hours, which was a very long ride. Hakodate is a quaint neighbourhood perfect for leisure strolling. It is facing the bay area as well and has a famous red brick warehouse buildings that are good for sightseeing and shopping. Most importantly. there are many tourists and travel agencies come to Hakodate for Mt. Hakodate night view which has been awarded Michelin 3 Stars! For those seafood lovers, be sure you come to Hakodate! You get the freshest yet cheapest seafood in Hokkaido! 👍😍

Hakodate Asaichi Morning Market

Map Code: 86072374*58

Operating Hours: 5am - 2pm

Average Time Spent: 1.5 hours

Highlights: Seafoods, Local market

Suits: Sightseeing, Foodies, Seafood Lovers, Culture

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)

Description & Tips:

👉 A local market which sells a wide varieties of seafood and local specialties.
👉 Famous for big raw seafood bowl, with an affordable price and generous amount of seafood provided for diners.
👉 In the middle of the market, there is one pond for us to catch live squid. The live squid just freshly caught will be cut into thin slices by the professional chef beside, and they will serve you the freshest sashimi on the spot! Not only you can enjoy the fun to catch live squid, you can taste the squid which is just freshly cut and served as well, double the fun!
👉 Take note that the morning market will close around noon time. Hence, it sure is a good thing to become the early bird to enjoy the market to the fullest!

Whole area of morning market

Self catch squid and live squid tasting

Luxury & fresh seafood don!

We are holding the real live snow crab on hands! It is heavy!

It directly melts the moment we put inside mouth, followed by sweet juices which spurt out to our mouth!

Shop's owner only cut the melon into slices and you can see the juices overflowing already!

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse

Map Code: 86041644*74

Operating Hours: 9.30am - 7pm

Average Time Spent: 1.5 hours

Highlights: Pretty scenery, buildings, bayfront, souvenir shops, cafes

Suits: Sightseeing, Shopping, Romantic

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)

Description & Tips:

👉 A row of red brick warehouse buildings in front of bay area. It was storehouse back then but now transforms into shopping stores which house a number of specialty shops that sell clothes, jewelries, cafes and etcetera.
👉 There is an ice cream booth that sells rose shaped ice cream as well! May try it as I think it is insta worthy! We not managed to try the rose shaped ice cream but will surely recommend to try because rose shaped ice cream is so cuteee right.
👉 Strolling in the surrounding of the warehouse area is like the feeling in Europe western country. The pace is slow and relaxing, together with the wind from the bay area, many photo spots opportunities right here!
👉 Good news for those Starbucks lovers, there is a Starbucks shop directly opposite the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse! Starbucks on the bay, a good idea! Plus I saw some Hokkaido or Hakodate limited edition Starbucks's mugs over there as well!

Purposely buy this for prewedding shooting purpose, but no chance to use.
At last we use it to take few shots here..

Here's the outcome..

Must take photo with Starbucks Coffee building around the world!

Whole row of red brick warehouse with the exception of one of the warehouse which is
shy of it's red color and covers itself with green color, but that's what makes it unique among the rest?

Red brick is always girl's favorite photo spot

Honey, I think I have distorted the wall.. Oops, I should have cut down on ice cream intake..

Love this beautiful building

I believe I can fly.. Smell the air of freedom during traveling

Love pretty night view

Motamachi Hachiman Zaka Slope

Map Code: 86041131*14 (Note: Or may park car in parking space near Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse and explore this area by foot, is walk-able distance!)

Operating Hours: 24 hours

Average Time Spent: 1 hour

Highlights: Pretty scenery, buildings, churches

Suits: Sightseeing, Romantic

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★ (Recommended)

Description & Tips:

👉 A hilly path or so called slope that links you through the little neighborhood area to the bay or port area.
👉 This famous slope is selected as Top.1 'Slope in Japan You Would Want to Visit for Sightseeing'.
👉 Go all the way to the top of the slope and take photo with the beautiful port view as background. Depends on the luck, most of the time you are required to queue. But you get people to help you take the photos as well, which is a good thing too!
👉 Surrounding of Motamachi area has a lot of little neighbourhood houses for you to leisurely strolling and taking photos with. There is even a small shrine for you to visit. The weather in Hakodate around the bay makes it breezy and comfortable enough to walk and have a look on the beautiful traditional Japan cafes and houses.

We left our footsteps here!

If I can slide down the road with this slope..

Most famous photo spot of Hachiman Zaka Slope

Beautiful neighbourhood

Small but well maintained shrine in the middle of neighbourhood

Overseas feeling, Harry Potter book?
Can spot many unique buildings in the neighborhood when strolling..

Hakodate Church

Map Code: 86040206*41 (Note: Or may park car in parking space near Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse and explore this area by foot, is walk-able distance!)

Operating Hours: 10am - 4pm

Average Time Spent: 1.5 hour

Highlights: Pretty scenery, buildings, churches

Suits: Sightseeing, Romantic

Personal Star Rating: ★★★ (Worth to Visit)

Description & Tips:

👉 In the vicinity of Motamachi Hachiman Zaka Slope, there is signboard that leads you to few churches for sightseeing. Hakodate Orthodox Church is the Japan's 1st Russian church. This beautiful church also has bells that will ring at 5pm on every Saturday and Sunday. We walk around the Motamachi area and able to hear the bell ringing. This certainly makes this town to be beautiful and romantic. On top of this, the sound of bell is chosen as one of the 100 Best Soundscapes in Japan!

Perfect photo spot with this tree

Feel so Europe here..

Mt. Hakodate Ropeway

Map Code: 86041004*55

Operating Hours: 10am - 10pm, exception 10am - 9pm from mid October to late April

Average Time Spent: 2 hours

Highlights: Pretty scenery, night view

Suits: Sightseeing, Romantic

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)

Description & Tips:

👉 Awarded as the Michelin Green Guide 3 Stars! Beautiful in day and especially night time!
👉 Ride the ropeway from the base of Mt. Hakodate to the top of the mountain for the magnificent observatory for night view.
👉 From the mountain, you can view Hakodate bay and neighbourhood areas. You can see airplanes flying through and touching Hokkaido as well!
👉 The shape of the bay area makes it looks like Chanel (branded bag) shape, with two big C and buildings in the middle.
👉 The view keeps on changing from season to season. Everyday the view will change as well because it depends on the light that comes out from each houses and buildings.
👉 Come around evening time and stay till sunset and night falls, so you get to see day and night view from Mt. Hakodate. The later you come especially around evening/sunset time, there will be tons of travel buses that unload visitors and so on. You need to be early to book a good place to see the Chanel night view, else you can only manage to see crowds. Don't say I do not warn you, the place is crazily crowded!
👉 This is the most famous landmark attraction in Hakodate, so be prepared to queue everywhere!
👉 Remember to visit the souvenir shop inside as you get many Hakodate special limited edition snacks and souvenirs, most of them packed nicely with the Chanel night view as packaging!