Login

Old Public Hall Of Hakodate Ward

Iconic Western-style Architecture

The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward is located halfway up Mt. Hakodate, and the blue and yellow building is representative of Western-style architecture of the Meiji period in Hokkaido. The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward has a lobby, VIP rooms, VIP bedrooms, and other rooms where many Japanese emperors have stayed throughout history.

In 1907, the Public Hall of Hakodate Ward was destroyed in a fire, and it was rebuilt in 1910 with donations from wealthy merchant Tetsuhei Soma and citizens in a Blue and Yellow European Style.

The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward is located halfway up Hakodate Hill, and you can walk through the Motomachi Park in front of the building and down the beach along Motoizaka Slope. Standing by the Terrace on the Second Floor, you can see the curved Hakodate Bay in full view. The six Terrace Pillars outside the building are also in the European Renaissance style, each with a decorative ornament at the top.

Manywhere Trivia:
After the Meiji Restoration in 1869, the old Edo Shogunate established a 125-day “The Republic of Ezo” in Hakodate, which was immediately overthrown. It was theoretically the first democracy in Asia.

When it was first built, the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward was the only public meeting place in the neighborhood, with a Central Hall of more than 400 square meters, where most of the concerts, exhibitions, parties, and other events were held.

There are about thirty rooms on the upper and lower floors of the hall, including many VIP Rooms with Luxurious Interiors. The wallpaper, chandeliers, and sofas in the VIP rooms and VIP bedrooms are made of high-grade materials and are all originals of the Old Public Hall, where the Taisho Emperor and the Showa Emperor stayed throughout history.