函館市「五稜郭公園」

五稜郭是日本最後的內戰「箱館戰爭」的舞台，現已開放成為著名的公園，全年有許多遊客造訪。園內的博物館展示著當時的豐富史料，及戰爭時使用的大炮等遺跡。每年春天，1,660株多的櫻花同時盛開，是北海道內屈指可數的櫻花名勝。園區周邊設有美術館，可以欣賞跟函館有相關的美術作品；從「五稜郭鐵塔」可以瞭望五稜郭公園；以及介紹函館和北海道漁業歷史的文化資料館等。

Goryōkaku is a star fort in the Japanese city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo. Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Hisaburō. His plan was based on the work of the French architect Vauban. It is shaped like a five-pointed star. This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire.

五稜郭公園電車沿線周邊，有不少百貨公司及餐飲店依次排列，形成函館最大的繁華街，深受年輕人歡迎。五稜郭公園配置了獨特的「棱堡」設施。外觀有5個突出的角，呈星狀五角形因此被稱為「五棱郭」。五棱郭是日本第一座西式城堡，花了7年的歲月，方於1864年完工。日本在締結了美日親善條約之後，開放箱館港，為了強化防衛同時解決政府機關的遷移問題，江戶幕府征夷大將軍德川家定下令建造五棱郭，並由西洋軍事學者武田斐三郎負責設計。

The fort was built by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect the Tsugaru Strait against a possible invasion by the Russian fleet. Goryōkaku is famous as the site of the last battle of the Boshin War (Goryōkaku no Tatakai). The fighting lasted for a week (June 20–27, 1869). Today, Goryōkaku is a park. It has been declared a Special Historical Site and is home to the Hakodate city museum. The grounds are a favorite spot for cherry-blossom viewing in spring.