Fort Goryokaku is located in the city of
Hakodate, on the island of
Hokkaido in
Japan. Construction on the fort began in 1857 and it was completed in the year 1864.
The name Goryokaku means "
Pentagonal Fortress." This is actually a bit decieving, as Fort Goryokaku is actually shaped like a five-pointed
star and not a
pentagon. It was comissioned by the
Tokugawa Shogunate as an office from which the trade and government of
Hokkaido could be controlled.
The
fort was designed by
Ayasaburo Takeda, a Japanese scientist. He was advised by
French soldiers and some
Dutch fort designs. The original idea of a star-shaped fort came from
Sebastian Vauban, who helped design other major fortifications (
Fort McHenry in
Baltimore,
United States and the
Citadel in
Halifax,
Canada). Vauban's star-shaped style was popular in
Europe during the 19th century because it was able to stand up to
modern weapons.
Fort Goryokaku played a major part in the
Boshin War, which is also known as the
Japanese Civil War. A
group of shogunate had their final showdown with the newly established
Imperial government. The shogunate forces started their rebellion in
Kyoto, but eventually were pushed all the way back to the island of
Hokkaido. It is at Goryokaku where the
shogunate troops made their last stand in 1868. They managed to keep away the
Imperial troops for a year before finally surrendering in 1869. The
Boshin War ended here, as did 700 years of
Samurai rule.
Since then, Fort Goryokaku has been converted into a
park. It now hosts some special events that occur throughout the year:
Plays in the Park: Every Friday through Sunday from late July to early August, Fort Goryokaku is the stage for open-air plays. These plays are recreations of the history of
Hakodate, and are enhanced with lights and music.
Goryokaku Star Dreams: Every night from the middle of Jaunary through the middle of February,
the walls are lined with lights. Combine this with the
snow-covered landscape that occurs during these to months and you have quite a spectacular view.
Goryokaku Festival: On the third Saturday and Sunday of may, there is a
parade that marches around the streets surrounding Fort Goryokaku. The participants dress up as historical figures that have played a part in Fort Goryokaku's history, such as the
Shogunate rebels,
Imperial forces, or the troops of
Commodore Perry.
The Cherry Festival: Fort Goryokaku also hosts a traditional
cherry blossom viewing event when the flowers are in bloom. During this period, many people come to Fort Goryokaku to eat, sing, drink, and dance underneath the
cherry blossoms.
This information was taken from a Fort Goryokaku tourism brochure and my own experience visitng there.