Page 290 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

288  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

Fort was from the north side of Lake
completed in Onuma to the upper mountain
1864 to defend provides a fabulous view of
against the southwestern Hokkaido.
Russians, but it
fell to imperial
forces in 1869. 3 Niseko Ski Resort
Niseko Ski Resort
Environs
Hot- spring £ Niseko stn. @ from Sapporo.
Blossom-viewing in Hakodate’s Goryokaku Park enthusiasts will
want to stay at Some of Japan’s best skiing can be
1 Hakodate the onsen resort of Yunokawa found in the Niseko mountains.
15 minutes from the center. An
Hakodate Snowboarders and skiers alike
hour’s drive to the east of the favor this area for its long, cold
* 280,000. k Hakodate. £ city is the active Mount Esan winter season, numerous slopes,
@ from Sapporo. g from Aomori. volcano with nearby azalea and quality off-piste powder. In
n JR stn (0138) 27-4410.
_ Hakodate Port Festival (Aug 1–5). gardens and forested slopes. summer it offers adventure-sports
∑ city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp vaca tions. Four major resorts are
connected at the top of the same
Once an island, the fan-shaped 2 Onuma Quasi- mountain and shuttle buses link
city of Hakodate now straddles National Park them at the base. A single pass
a low sandbar that links it to the Onuma National Park
can be used for all the resorts.
mainland. In 1854, Hakodate Hirafu is very popular among
was desig nated one of the first £ Onuma-Koen stn. @ from foreigners, and during the skiing
treaty ports in Japan. Fifteen Hakodate. n next to stn (0138) season it takes on the character
years later the city was the 67-2170. of a lively alpine village.
scene of the last battle in
Japan before World War II. Three large, islet-studded lakes
Within easy reach of the – Onuma, Konuma, and 4 Shikotsu-Toya
center is Mount Hakodate, the Junsainuma – are sur rounded National Park
peak of which can be reached by by forest and form the Onuma Shikotsu Toya National Park
cable car, road, or on foot. The Quasi-National Park. Deer and
spectacular view of the shim- foxes inhabit the forests, and the £ Toya stn. @ from Sapporo.
mering city lights fanning out lakes sup port many kinds of n 142-5 Toyako Onsen, Toyako-cho,
between the two dark arms of waterfowl, particularly during Abuta District (0142) 75-2555.
the sea is considered one of the the spring and fall migrations. ∑ toyako-vc.jp/en
finest night views in all of Japan. Wildflowers are abundant in
The quiet Motomachi dis trict, summer and among the rare The disjointed Shikotsu-Toya
nestling beneath Mount birds that come to Onuma are National Park is like an open-air
Hakodate in the south of the the ruddy kingfisher, white- museum to vul canology. It
city, is the most attractive area. tailed eagle, and Steller’s sea contains the 1,900-m- (6,230-ft-)
Western-style buildings are a eagle. The graceful form of high Mount Yotei (also known
feature here, a legacy of the Mount Komagatake provides a as Ezo-Fuji, due to its conical
treaty-port status. They include stun ning backdrop to the north. shape), two large crater lakes,
the Old Public Hall, with its An easily followed hiking trail and the spa towns of Jozankei
stately blue-and-
yellow clapboarding;
the Russian
Orthodox Church
with its spire and
onion domes; and,
nearby, the Old
British Consulate.
In the north,
Goryokaku Park
provides a peaceful
haven for strolling,
and its more than
1,500 cherry trees
create a popular
springtime spectacle.
The pentagon-
shaped Goryo kaku Mount Komagatake across Lake Onuma
For hotels and restaurants see p307 and pp338–9

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