Our yummy breakfast consisted of bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, croissant and honey/butter, potato wedges, beancurd with roes (very nice!) and milk (very fresh and creamy; AG loved it!).
General view of the buffet line.
First stop of Day 4 of our trip – Fort Goryokaku
Fort Goryokaku is a massive, star shaped, Western style citadel and was built in 1866 to house government offices for the administration in Hakodate and to deal with commerce and foreign affairs related to the port of Hakodate that opened to international trade in 1859.
Diagram of Fort Goryokaku.
There are five V-shaped projections from a central core and it was named Goryokaku (Pentagram Fort) in reference to its star shape. The projections, each of which had a battery at its point, were designed so that an assault from any direction could be met with concentrated firepower.
Stone wall structure.
We entered via the entrance of southwestern main fort. The stone walls here are higher than in other parts and are built in a structure in which all stones in the second row from the top are layered to protrude in order to repel intruders. Stones used for the walls are andesites cut out from and quarried in the mountains to the north.
Spotted a dozen or so small sparrows perched upon the stone wall. So cute!
In the center of the fort stands the Former Magistrate Office, from where the officers of the shogunate administered Hokkaido. The original building was demolished after the fall of the shogunate in 1871, but the city meticulously reconstructed a part of the complex and opened it to the public in 2010.
Former Magistrate Office
Site of Waiting House.
This place served as a waiting house for the servants of visitors as only people of high rank were allowed to enter the magistrate's office.
View of the moat surrounding Fort Goryokaku
Goryokaku Tower.
Behind us is Goryokaku Tower, an observation tower that is 50 m high. From here, you can enjoy a stunning view and get a good idea of the layout of the fort.
PS: Entrance to Goryokaku Tower is not included in package. And there wasn't any free and easy time for us to explore Fort Goryokaku more thoroughly or go up Goryokaku Tower! *whine* Another reason to dislike tour...
There is a lovely Japanese shrine nearby and we ducked in to take a brief look of the place.
Hall of worship.
Garden within the compound.
There's even star-shaped flowers here too!! So unique and so pretty!
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