Goryokaku Park Cherry Blossoms 2027 Dates TBA

五稜郭公園の桜 — Hakodate, Hokkaido (Hokkaido)

Last updated: Fri, October 30, 2026

✓ No booking needed

Goryokaku Park wraps Japan's only star-shaped Western-style fort in roughly 1,500 cherry trees, with fallen petals often blanketing the surrounding moat in pink by the end of the season.

Background

Built in the 1850s as Japan's first Western-style fortification, the star fort saw its last battle in 1869 before becoming a public park; the cherry trees planted since have made it one of Hokkaido's most photographed hanami spots, especially from the observation tower overlooking the full star shape.

Getting there

A 10-minute walk from Goryokakukoen-mae tram stop (Hakodate City Tram), or use the Goryokaku Tower's observation deck for an aerial view of the star-shaped moat in bloom.

Tips

• The Goryokaku Tower observation deck (separate admission) is the only spot to see the fort's full star shape and the cherry blossoms from above.
• Because Hokkaido blooms weeks after the rest of Japan, this is one of the last places in the country to catch sakura each spring.
• The park itself — about 1,600 cherry trees along the moat — is free to walk. To actually see the star shape the fort is famous for, you need to go up the separate Goryokaku Tower next door, which charges its own admission (around ¥1,200 for adults).
• The night illumination lights the moat and ramparts from within the park, but the classic "pink star" photo needs the tower's observation deck after dark, when the shape shows up most clearly against the dark water.
• Dates for the light-up move with the bloom each year rather than being fixed — in 2026 it ran Apr 21–May 6, 7:00pm–9:00pm.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Fri, October 30, 2026