Goryokaku

Hokkaido Goryokaku | Star Shaped Fort

Hakodate Goryokaku is a star-shaped fort with five bastions, built according to the French style after Japan was opened at the end of the Edo Period, to strengthen Japan's defenses against foreign countries and the arrival of foreign ships. The fort was captured by the forces of the former Edo Shogunate during the Boshin War that began in 1868, and was the stage of the Battle of Hakodate, the final battle of that war. In May 1869, the army of the former Edo Shogunate was defeated by the forces supporting the Meiji Restoration, bringing an end to the war which had divided Japan. The site originally included the Hakodate Magistrate's Office, but currently only the arsenal and a well remain. In recent years, work has progressed on the restoration of the Hakodate Magistrate's Office, with completion expected within a few years.

Hokkaido Goryokaku | Related Pages