3 Days in Hakodate, Hakodate, Japan

I’ll start by saying that a single day would be enough to visit Hakodate, but I needed to slow down and relax, and this town in southern Hokkaido was the perfect spot at the perfect moment.

It’s 3h30 train from Sapporo and is a port city with a treacherous shape… it looks like an hourglass between high hills, the harbor and the Strait of Tsurgu and while strolling aimlessly is easy to get lost finding yourself on the wrong waterfront. With its long, uphill roads, the vintage tram, nice colored wood houses, the relaxed atmosphere and the sea breeze Hakodate has immediately made me think of San Francisco, despite the heavy snowfall! I stayed for three nights in one of these houses in the Motomachi district, on the hillside, furnished in traditional style, my room included a coffee table on tatami floor, cushions and futons to sleep at night, all in front of a large window covered with rice paper panels. Zen and cozy at the same time. The owner, Masahiro, has another two rooms with bunk beds in hostel style, but during my visit I was the only guest. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).