Planning a trip to Hakodate

Getting There

By JR Train -- From Tokyo, take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hachinohe (3 hr.), and then transfer to a direct train for Hakodate (about 3 hr.). The total fare for a reserved seat is ¥18,750. There's also a night train (the Hokutosei) that departs Tokyo Station at 6:50pm, arriving in Hakodate the next morning at 6:34am and costing ¥26,420; if you have a JR Rail Pass, you pay only the ¥12,430 sleeping-car surcharge. Hakodate is about 3 1/2 hours from Sapporo.

By Plane -- JAL flies from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Hakodate Airport (HKD) in 1 1/4 hours for ¥31,500 (one-way), though 7-day advance-purchase fares can go for as low as ¥16,600 on certain flights. Limousine buses travel to JR Hakodate Station in 20 minutes for ¥400.

Getting Around

With the exception of Mount Hakodate, the most pleasant way to see Hakodate is on foot. The city is easy to navigate, and there are many English-language signs. Otherwise, streetcars are the major form of transportation (stops are announced in English), with fares starting at ¥200; take a ticket upon entering the back door and pay when you get off. There's also a 1-day streetcar pass for ¥600.

Visitor Information

The Tourist Information Centers located in Tokyo and at Tokyo and Osaka international airports have a leaflet called "Hakodate and Vicinity." (You can also download it from JNTO's website at www.jnto.go.jp by looking under "Browse by Destinations.") Otherwise, the Hakodate Tourist Office (tel. 0138/23-5440; daily 9am-7pm, to 5pm Nov-Mar) is inside the station to your left as you exit the wicket. It has an excellent English-language map and brochure of Hakodate and can help with accommodations. Check www.hakodate-kankou.com for more information.

Internet Access

Check e-mail at HotWeb Café, 18-1 Wakamatsucho (tel. 0138/26-3591; Wed-Mon 10am-8pm), a 3-minute walk from Hakodate Station (on the left side of the road that runs btw. stores Wako and Boni Moriya). It charges ¥400 for 1 hour with the purchase of a drink.