Motomachi Park in Autumn, 2025 !

by Kazu

The old warehouse near Hakodate Bay was covered with vine with colored autumnal foliage of red. I think the peak time of the beautiful autumnal foliage was comparatively later than usual in 2025.  

Thanks to the delay of turning color of the leaves, I could enjoy the beautiful countenances of the Port City Hakodate even in November, 2025 during my business jaunt.

The Motomachi Park in the uptown of the city showed me its most beautiful facet in the cold and clear air after the crack of dawn on that day. I was heading to the trail on the hillside of Mt. Hakodate to shortcut the approach to Yachigashira District on the othe side of the mountain.

 

If You Live in Hakodate City !

by Kazu

I imagined the life in Hakodate City and my regular jogging around the bay early in the morning at the crack of dawn. For the first time, I recognized the statue facing the bay was of Mr. Joseph Hardy Neejima. 

He founded "Doshisha" in Japan. I had not recognized his presence in Hakodate City before that. The statue was set by Hakodate Rotary Club in 2014. Hakodate is not so snowy even in winter. So such statue is not a obstacle to take off snow even in winter.   

The artistic objects and some statues were displayed around the bay. Living in the Port City may affect the lives of the people, particularly, in the adolescence. The mild skyline around the bay gave so nice base to the landscape. 

 

Hakodate Bay in Autumn, 2025 !

by Kazu

I was so satisfied with the scenery of Hakodate Bay that had been anticipated beforehand. It was so fine and I could enjoy the clear view of the landscape around the bay. Just after the crack of dawn, it was so calm and the sound of rippling made me so comfortable in the ocean breeze.  

The peak of Mt. Hakodateyama could be seen so clearly from the bay area. No body was running except for me and I remember that I had found very few jogger early in the morning in the Port City. 

The rising sun under the horizon colored the clouds pale pink and soon it would turn the monochrome scenery to the colored one soon. I really enjoyed the landscape made up with the nature and the artificial art works.

 

Hakodate early in the morning, Autumn 2025 !

by Kazu

After enjoying the hot spring spa in Yachigashira Distinct and savoring top-quality culinary delights sourced locally, I did have a good sleep am got tp early in the next morning. 

The regular jogging course during my stay in the Port City Hakodate is from the Bay Area through Motomachi Park, in the woods on the hillside of Mt. Hakodateyama,  Blue Blood Monument, Yahata Shrine, Yachigashira Hot Spring Spa and return by the tram or walk.

iI cou not se the Sunrise from t ocean on that a day but I could enjoy the Hot Spring Spa in

Yachigashira again with the seniors

under the bright sunshine in the morning as if I was one of the residents in the district. I was so filled up with beautiful scenery and the comfortable facilities.

 

Hakodate Night in Autumn, 2025 !! 2

by Kazu

I didn't expect a business jaunt to the Port City Hakodate this fiscal year but I had to give a good support to my colleagues in the same division on that weekend so that they could have a rest with their family.

I had been to Hakodate City many times with my wife but I experienced lonely night in Hakodate City for the first time in recent decade. I had to enjoy the night alone.

I didn't see many inbound tourists around Hakodate Railway Station in the late evening on that day. So I got concerned about the beneficial effects to the eateries brought by the inbound tourists.

 

Hakodate Night in Autumn, 2025 !!

by Kazu

Above is the backstreet beside my favorite Japanese Bistro "Hakodate-yama" named "Kikusui Kouji" . At around 22:00 on Sunday, most of the bars and eateries in the old bar-hopping area were closed earlier than weekdays. 

But the former bar-hopping area that had flourishe decades ago may have to change the business style from for citizens to for the inbound and well-heeled investors.

My father had used the bar near there during his mandate in Hakodate City decades ago but I could not find it anymore. It may be tough to keep its clients for years. 

 

What I had for the lonely dinner in Hakodate-yama !

by Kazu

It was a pity that the Japanese bistro "Hakodateyama" didn't have living squids in the salt water tank on that day so that I could eat the half-living sushi-grade squid which limbs might run away from the dish on the table. So I ordered grilled squid, fried balloon fish.    

The number of squid to fish was regulated strictly to preserve the delicious and mysterious creature and the fishermen had not been able to go to offshore of the city to fish squid with bright light bulbs and net.

Watching the dishes on the counter of the bistro, I thought I would have to take out some dishes to the room in the hotel. But it was unnecessary concern because I could ate up all the dishes in an hour on that day. All of the dishes were superb and impressed me so much. 

 

Japanese Bistro "Hakodate-yama" just before Closed !

by Kazu

After coming back from my hometown Kitami City to Sapporo, I went on a business jaunt to Hakodate City. It had been a year since I had visited the Port City before that.I took the tram on the street to go to Yachigashira District at the foot of Mt. Hakodateyama and for return to the hotel I stayed.

It seemed that I was the last guest to have dinner in my favorite Japanese Bistro "Hakodateyama". At the late night on Sunday, the chef might have had itchy feet to close the Izakaya but I started to order many dishes for dinner/supper. 

I heard that the fresh sushi-grade cod milt could be available on that day, I  ordered that flavoerd with citrus and soy sauce with broth. For a dinner for one person, the amount of the dishes must have been too much but I could fill me up with top-quality seafood and pints of beer. 

 

The Best Hakodate Night !

by Kazu

This is the tram station of Yachigashira District in the Port City Hakodate. After finishing my duty in the city on that day, I went to the hot spring spa in Yachigashira at the foot of Mt. Hakodate-yama where my father had lived for years decades ago.   

This tram connects Yachigashira, train station, Goryokaku Area and Yunokawa hot spring area. I make a point of soak my body in the hot spring bath in Yachigashira or Yunokawa when I visit the city.

After stretching my legs and spine in the spa, I came back to the hotel I stayed in the central area of the city. I did not foresee my fiasco the next morning at that time. 

 

I was longing to the Trip from this Station !

by Kazu

In my high school age, I was longing for the train trip from this station to go somewhere in Japan or on this globe in the evening. I wanted to take red-eye train (night train) but I found that the seat in the train was a little bit uncomfortable for me later.    

Red-eye flights are also stressful even after growing-up but the movie films in the aircraft satisfy me and ease the pain with some alcohol. Night train was my dream at that time.  

We took the Limited Express Train Ozora to go back to Sapporo on that day. The locomotive had the emblem motifed the flowers of Ozora Town, pink and white mossphlox near the cockpit. It was much more comfortable than I expected.