- June 30th, 2017
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[Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery in Hakodate] Nice Ocean View Can Be Enjoyed at Good Place to See Sunset
CONTENTS
Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery
Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery (函館外国人墓地) is a cemetery at the foot of Mt. Hakodate (函館山) in the western edge of Hakodate, and is well-known for dividing into 3 cemetery sections, Russian Cemetery section, Chinese Cemetery section and Protestant Cemetery section. It is said that an origin of the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery was 2 crewmen buried here in 1854 when Admiral Matthw C Perry (ペリー提督) visited the Hakodate. This place seemed to be chosen as the cemetery because an ocean view was very good on a small hill. Here is also famous as a good place to the beautiful sunset. Admission free.
A public restroom is built at the site. An one-way road is narrow. A parking lot is not provided near here. A patrol car sometimes patrols to crackdown on illegal parking. A cafe such as Cafe Morie (カフェ・モーリエ) and Tea Shop Yuhi (ティーショップ夕日) are popular because the location is good. Japanese movie "Night of Shooting Star (星に願いを。)" used the Cafe Morie as a shooting place.
Mt. Hakodate
Mt. Hakodate (函館山) is a range of mountains with 334 m in height in the west side of Hakodate city, and is general term of 13 mountains. Another name is Mt. Gagyu (臥牛山). The Mt. Hakodate used to be an island originally, but a sandbar grew on the sea, and the downtown of the Hakodate was built on the sandbar. A view of the Hakodate downtown has been famous since old days, and is one of the 3 best night views in the world together with Hongkong in China and Napoli in Italy. "A View from Mt. Hakodate" was given 3 stars in Michelin Green Guide Japon 2011. It features that world people rate "The View from the Mt. Hakodate" highly. In addition, it is also well-known as one of the 3 best night views in Hokkaido together with Mt. Tengu in Otaru and Mt. Moiwa in Sapporo. After all, the night view is most popular. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More
By the way, Express Hakodate-go (高速はこだて号) and Hakodate Limited Express New Star-go (函館特急ニュースター号), express buses, run between Sapporo and the Hakodate. Unfortunately, the express bus does not run between New Chitose Airport and the Hakodate. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Hakodate Station, Hakodate Airport, the Goryokaku Fort and Hakodate Ferry Terminal.
HAKODATE
Hakodate (函館) that about 260,000 people live is the 3rd largest port city in Hokkaido, and is a regional hub city of the Southern Hokkaido area. The Hakodate became incorporated with Toi town (戸井), Esan town (恵山), Todohokke village (椴法華) and Minami-kayabe town (南茅部) in 2004, and most of Kameda Peninsula (亀田半島) has changed to the Hakodate. It is one of most popular tourist cities in the Hokkaido, and about 5 million people visit here. The downtown of the Hakodate from Mt. Hakodate toward former Goryokaku fort is developed on a large sandbar between the seas, and a unique seashore landscape is very popular. Although a lot of tourists think the center town of the Hakodate is around Hakodate Station and the Mt. Hakodate, it is around Hakodate Streetcar Goryokaku Koen-mae Stop (函館市電五稜郭公園前駅). The Hakodate is also well-known as a city with a lot of slopes, and there are 19 slopes with its name such as Hachiman-zaka slope (八幡坂), Daisan-zaka slope (大三坂) and Motoi-zaka slope (基坂), so around the Mt. Hakodate has a lot of slope lands, and the Hakodate has a lot of narrow roads. As for a climate, the Hakodate is wamer than other cities in the Hokkaido because it is located of the Southern Hokkaido, and it does not snow hard. Read More
Look of Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery
Here is called "Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery", but in reality, there are a lot of sects divided into each cemeteries in the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery, so it may be said "Cemetery Ginza * Ginza means busy or gather in Japanese". Except graves, I am interested in some private houses stood side by side. It was said that the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery was one of major haunted place in Hokkaido when I was a student. But the rumor might not be true because of many private houses around the cemetery. Koryuji Temple (高龍寺), a famous temple, is in front of an entrance, and except 3 cemetery sections, there are Japanese Christian Cemetery (キリスト教日本人墓地), Cemetery of Jizoji Temple (地蔵寺の墓地), Cemetery for Feudal Retainers of Nabu Domain (南部藩の墓), Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres Cemetery (シャルトル聖パウロ修道女会墓地 * Catholic Cemetery (カトリック墓地)) and Orthodox Church Cemetery (ハリストス正教会墓地) at the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery, and Hakodate Koseiin Cemetery (函館厚生院墓地) is a little far away.
In 1633, the Koryuji Temple was founded by Mr. Banshitsu Horyu (盤室芳龍) as a branch temple of Soto school Hogen-ji Temple (曹洞宗法源寺) in Matsumae. It is the oldest temple in the Hakodate. A building was destroyed by Great Hakodate Fire (函館大火). But it was moved to this place, and a main building was built in 1900. 10 buildings have been designed as registered tangible cultural properties, and especially, the main gate of the temple is famous. Detailed sculptures made by Mr. Atsusaburo Hara (原篤三郎) and Mr. Kuroji Kaneko (金子九郎次) from Echigo Domain (越後) are high quality. In addition, they own Shaka Nehan-zu (釈迦涅槃図 * painting of Buddha nirvana) that is considered as the master piece of Mr. kakigzaki Hakyo (蠣崎波響). The precinct is open to the public. Admission free.
The Chinese Cemetery surrounded by brick walls is named "Chukasan-so (中華山荘)". An origin of the Chinese Cemetery is that Chinese people has been rented land from early-Meiji administrative unit for Hokkaido (開拓使) to bury Chinese people in 1976. It is the only cemetery that tourists can enter freely among the 3 cemeteries. Some tombstones are built at the site, but the scale is the smallest among the 3 cemeteries. I am interested in a private house at the site. The Chinese Cemetery is maneged by an overseas Chinese, so perhaps the private house is a family concerned with the overseas Chinese.
The Russian Cemetery is managed by Orthodox Church. An entrance gate is closed. There are 43 graves at present. The oldest grave is that Mr. George Borikekovic, a mate of Russian screw frigate Askold, has been buried since 1859. Mrs. Goshkevich (初代領事ゴシケーヴィチ夫人), a wife of the first Russian consul in Hakodate, and Mr. Vissarion Sartov (ヴィサリオン・サルトフ), a teacher at the National School in Hakodate were buried, too.
At present, there are 40 graves of the German Vice-Consul Haber (ドイツ代理領事ハーバー) and the Denmark Consul Duus (デンマーク領事デュース) as well as 2 crewmen, Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Remick, that have been buried by the Admiral Matthw C Perry at the Protestant Cemetery. An entrance gate is closed. Various-shaped tombstones are lined. Although it is named "Foreign General Cemetery", some Christian Japanese people were also entombed here.
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Grave of Extra Edition Newspaper Distributor (天下の号外屋翁の墓) is built at the Hakodate Koseiin Cemetery. In a calm atmosphere, a red tombstone catches people's eyes. An Extra Edition Newspaper Distributor is Mr. Sukeharu Shinano (信濃助治). He came to the Hakodate in all red clothes in 1894, and opened a newspaper office, and distributed newspapers in all the red clothes. He left a will to paint his tombstone red. I thought here is not famous, but there is a signboard to explain about him.
The center of the Hakodate used to be around Funami-Cho (船見町) when the Japan opened Hakodate Port. A place written "Yamasedomari (山背泊)" is around the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery at the lower left of a photo below. There are Shomyoji Temple (称名寺), Jitsugyoji Temple (実行寺) and Jogenji Temple (浄玄寺) at the Funami-cho, and those are relatively near the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery. A lot of Yukaku (遊郭 * Brothel) were built around there, and dead prostitutes at Yamonoue-Asobimeya Brothel (山之上遊女屋) were mounted for at Jizoji Temple located in the Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery, and Umuryoento Monument (有無両縁塔) was built for their souls.
Atmosphere of Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Hakodate Foreign General Cemetery
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Parking lot is not provided |
| Business hours | Open for 24 hours |
| Regular closing day | Open all year round |
| Telephone number | +81-138-21-3323 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
List of accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the downtown of the Hakodate. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
South Part of Hakodate Downtown
North Part of Hakodate Downtown
Yunokawa Onsen
A page of Hakodate is here
Hakodate
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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