Jogging around in Hakodate City 2 !

by Kazu
The color of autumn was left in Hakodate City. It may be one of the best place to live and particularly to enjoy the adolescence albeit the youngster in Hakodate seemed to love driving and talking about automobiles.

 This is Old Public Hall of The Hakodate Ward called Kyuu Hakodate-ku Koukaido in Japanese.
In August, 1907, a big fire burnt down over 12,000 houses, almost a half of Hakodate Ward. The public meeting hall where the citizens had gathered together was lost.
Mr. Teppei Soma, a wealthy merchant contributed 50,000 Japanese yen (a terribly great value of money at that time) though he had also lost his own shops in that fire. Thanks to his contribution, the present public hall was completed in 1910.

This hall is of typical western style architecture of Meiji Era. It is constructed symmetrically. It shows unique architectural style on the verandas upstairs, the skylights and carvings on the pillars of the entrance and porches.
In May, 1974, it was designated as an important cultural property and the building was entirely restored in 1982 after three years of work.
 ( quoted form the description made by the Municipality of Hakodate)

In front of the old public hall, Motomachi Park gives the citizen a comfortable space to enjoy the port view of Hakodate City and the peaks of mountains on the Oshima Peninsula as shown above.

On the left hand side of the old public hall, many souvenir shops like hole-in-the-walls were preparing for the open between the residential buildings.

Going up from the bay area to the old public hall, it is very nice to keep the heart rate 90 to 120 and exciting to jog around watching the shops and the streets that is filled with tourists in the afternoon.

Whom will you be with tomorrow night, Christmas Eve ?

 Please have enough time with your family and be-loved, savoring culinary delights and home-made holiday fare ;)