Motomachi
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Many foreign traders settled in this neighborhood in the mid 1800s, which still contains a number of foreign buildings, including the Russian Orthodox Church and the Chinese Memorial Hall.
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles572 reviews
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MCC
South West England, UK781 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
At the southern port in Hokkaido Island on the northern island of the four main islands of Japan, situated at the foothill of Mount Hakodate and overlooking Hakodate bay is the old town of Motomichi. It is a mixture of traditional and western styled residences, former administrative offices and places of worship.
In 1859 when Japan opened to western trade and influences Hakodate was one of three first port to let Westerners bring their culture, religious practices and places of worship but at each of the places Westerners were kept separate from local populace. Motomichi was such a place.
It was where all the foreigners had settled around the old institutions of Hakodate. In this area many old foreign diplomatic buildings, churches and public offices have been preserved.
The Episcopal Church was established here in 1874 by the Anglican Missionary society. The Russian Orthodox Church was built here in 1860 with the Consulate attached to it. We had to take our shoes off outside and were not permitted to take pictures inside. The Roman Catholic Church was founded here in 1859 by a French priest. These churches were not encouraged to practice generally for another decade. The Buddhist Temple located in Hakodate in 1709.
The fire of 1907 destroyed the old Public hall and 1200 surrounding houses. The hall was rebuilt by 1910 in the western-style architecture. The porch has Corinthian Capitals on Tuscan columns. The government office was built in 1909 in the western-style with emphasis (bulging in the middle) columns and Corinthian Capitals.
Being on a hill overlooking the harbour it was a long walk over cobbled streets to see all the historic buildings.
Written August 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ふれさん
1,059 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
A relative who had the chance to spend time in Hakodate told me that Motomachi is a nice place, so if I ever go to Hakodate, I should drop by.
There's Hachimanzaka, Motoizaka and other slopes, the Orthodox Church, Motomachi Catholic Church, the former Hakodate Public Hall, the former British Consulate, Motomachi Park, Perry Square, and a high school that seems like the setting for a teen drama, as well as the fine mansion of the Soma family and a shrine at the end of an alley. And towering behind them is Mount Hakodate. Just as I'd heard, it's not a large hilly town, but it's full of charm. There's a cafe in an old house that blends in with the streetscape. Of course, there are also the homes of ordinary people.
Google
Written November 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Etupirka
Minato, Japan1,146 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
港からの潮風に吹かれながら時間をかけて散策すると、観光スポットだけではなく、小洒落た珈琲店やレストランを見つけることが出来ます。真夏は暑すぎるので5~6月がおすすめです。ひとつひとつの坂に名前が付いています。

At the foot of Mt. Hakodate, there are 19 sloping streets running straight to the port. They are very popular with those who stroll around since there are distinct buildings and varied landscapes along them.
Written May 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rumples
Tucson, AZ11,734 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
This charming, hilly neighborhood at the base of Mount Hakodate shows off the area favored by Westerners and other foreigners after Japan ended its period of isolation in the 19th century. Many non-Japanese buildings still stand here, some open to the public for a fee. I especially like the colorful, massive Old Hakodate Public Hall and think it is worth paying to enter. But I would stick to the exterior of the Old British Consulate, which offers a meh museum. It is possible to go into part of the building for free, however, to visit an authentic British tea room. One afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely high tea there.

Motomachi's three churches are free and stand fairly close together -- Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Russian Orthodox. When we visited, the rebuilt modern Episcopal church
was undergoing restoration work and was closed to the public. But the other two were open and worth seeing. In the Roman Catholic church, I especially liked the gold altar and the carved wood panels that make up the Stations of the Cross.

We wandered a bit through the Motomachi Garden, which spills down a steep hill from the Old Hakodate Public Hall. I thought the views of the water below were stunning from here as they also are from some neighborhood streets.

Throughout Motomachi, I saw tourists but never a large crowd. I noticed many shops selling soft ice cream. Vanilla seemed to be the favorite of the those I saw with cones. I saw no one eating squid ink ice cream, which seemed quite popular at the Morning Market near the train station.

To reach Motomachi, we got off at the Jujigai tram stop and walked for about seven minutes, mostly uphill.
Written July 2, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hnybnch
New York City42 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2013 • Couples
Remnants of post-Perry era, very nice stroll (hills are challenging in the winter) before or after trip up the ropeway. Museum of Northern Peoples (Ainu) has English information; Yachigashira onsen is a classic. Funadamajinja shrine is beautifully peaceful. Two good ideas for lunch: TanTanMen has outstanding noodles in 3 levels of spiciness (opens at 11:30, closes when out of food), located at last stop of SW end of tram. Cafe Mario Doll has eclectic menu in funky storefront with antiques and jazz, located one block from tram stop Jujigai.
Written February 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John
Leavenworth, KS1,285 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2017 • Couples
Hakodate was one of five Japanese cities/ports designated as open to foreigners as a result of US Admiral Perry’s sailing into Edo (Tokyo) in 1854 and demanding that Japan break its centuries of isolation. Motomachi is the area where foreigners were allowed to live and is home to several early Christian churches and consulates. It is a major tourist area now, like similar areas in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki. If you are Japanese, it is an interesting historical area showing how western influence came to Japan. If you are western, you may be disappointed because the houses, churches, and consulates have nothing special in the way of architecture or museum pieces. I have been to the similar areas in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki and found nothing particularly exceptional. Visited 9/16/2017.
Written August 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pornchai R
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2018 • Couples
Motomachi is not an area to be missed if you go to Hagodate. There are churches, houses, many buildings, all of which are well maintained. Worth for taking pictures. The popular long stretch slope is also here. Ropeway station up Motomachi mountain is just minutes away. All are within walking distance. Cool weather does not make you feel tired at all. A day in this area should be spared.
Written March 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dalip C
Singapore, Singapore171 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2017 • Couples
My suggestion : if you're planning on doing Mt Hakodate via the Ropeway, give yourself that extra hour plus, and walk around the Motomachi area. It's a nice, peaceful, if not zen-like setting, amidst the autumnal Colours that are breaking out now. The old, preserved houses, the various Churches and the official buildings all make for an interesting walk within this historical quarter.
Written October 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OngA
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
The walk around Motomachi was breathtaking. Every spot is worthwhile for photo shoot. Albeit you have to walk up a few hills, but the view and unique architectural buildings make it worth every sweat. There are always a good stop to enjoy some small snacks of ice cream or cream puff. Some of the highlights will include the municipal building, the churches, temples, etc. A must visit for everyone, but you need some walking here to enjoy it.
Written November 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

yijiaa2016
Singapore89 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Family
Went on 8 May 2016. We boarded a bus at Bus Station No. 4 bound for motomachi bay area. You can find out the different buses bound for many different attractions available in Hakodate by googling Hakodate Bus and find the search result with UU-Hokkaido. It's pretty worth it if you get the one-day bus only pass at the bus station in the bus terminal in front of Hakodate Station if you're planning to go many other places. Using this pass, other than motomachi bay area, I also visited Goryokaku Park and Trappistine Convent, and also saw the night view up on Mt Hakodate.

I had planned to follow the walking route on the Hakodate City Walking Map. (You can easily find the walking route by googling "hakodate city walking map". It's a pdf.)

We alighted at the Kyu-Igirisu Ryoujikan Mae (in front of Old British Consulate) stop and visited the attractions: Old British Consulate, Motomachi Park, Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, Hakodate Orthodox Church, Hachiman-zaka slope, Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses and Hakodate Meijikan. Spent about two hours walking. During the walk, we bought a ticket to go into the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward because it looked really grand from the outside. But I think it's fine if you don't want to enter any of the buildings and just admire their architecture from the outside.

The Redbrick Warehouses have many different shops inside so its fun to browse. The Meijikan itself is a large shop too. The Hachiman-zaka slope apparently is a famous slope featured in some television drama. The rest are just different historical buildings with interesting architecture.

Great way to spend a couple of hours walking around and enjoy the scenery and architecture!
Written June 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Motomachi - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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