The first Japanese fortress in the Western style, Goryo-kaku was built in 1864 by Ayasaburō Takeda. Built in the shape of five-pointed stars, the fortress was originally designed by Tokugawa's troops to defend themselves from the Russians. The loyalists accompanied by Captain Brunet came to take refuge in Hakodate with eight warships and nearly a thousand soldiers. The attack of the imperial fleet lasted six months and led to the defeat of the Republic of Ezo in May 1869. Today, nothing remains of the original building, but it is very pleasant to stroll in the gardens and around the moat. The moat is surrounded by 1600 cherry trees, which makes the Goryokaku one of the best places in Hokkaido to see cherry blossoms in spring. In summer, the moat is lined with lush greenery, which turns purple in autumn and white in winter.

Hakodate Hakubutsukan Bunkan. Historical museum inside the fortress.

Hakodate-Kōen. English garden that houses the museum and library.

Hakodate Museum. Housed in newer buildings, the museum is nonetheless the oldest regional museum in Japan. It was opened thanks to the initiative of an American, H. Capron. Some specimens from the Jōmon period can be seen there in particular.

The former magistrate's office (Hakodate Bugyosho). The building was demolished in the 1870s, along with much of the military and administrative heritage of the Edo period, but it was carefully restored and reopened in 2010.