Hokkaido Hakodate Museum of Art Located across from Goryokaku, the modern museum is a sharp contrast to the historic fort. The museum display consists of works by Hakodate and southern Hokkaido artists and authors. Sculptures by Rodin and Bourdelle are displayed throughout the museum which holds feature collections from abroad. Admission: Adults 100 yen / Open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed Mondays (closed Mondays and national holidays November 23 - March 20) / 0138-56-6311 Take the trolley to Goryokaku Koen and walk 6 min.

Hakodate City Museum of Literature Hakodate produced extraordinary writers. References of writers related to Hakodate are displayed at this museum which features an extensive coverage of Ishikawa Takuboku, a prominent poet from the Meiji era (1886 - 1912). The city is dotted with Takuboku-related sites: residential ruins, workplace remains, and monuments with inscriptions of Takuboku's poems. Admission: Adults 300 yen / Open everyday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closes at 5 p.m. November - March) / 0138-22-9014 Take the trolley to Suehiro-cho and walk 2 min.

Hakodate Museum of Photographic History Japan's oldest photograph is on display at this museum. Brown, a photographer who accompanied Commander Perry on his trip to Japan, took the picture of a samurai who guided the cameraman during the Hakodate visit. The museum also displays antique cameras and photographs which conjure images of the port during its establishment. Admission: Adults 200 yen / Open everyday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (closes at 5 p.m. November - March) / For details : 0138-27-3333 (Motomachi Tourist Information Center ) Take the trolley to Suehiro-cho and walk 6 min.

Trappistine Convent This religious institution which was established in 1898 became the first Japanese convent built to house nuns only. Visitors cannot enter the convent, but the photographs displayed in the reference room (for visitors) depict the history and "life in worship." Cookies made by nuns can be purchased at the convent store. Free admission / Open 8:10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (8:20 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. during winter), closed Wednesdays (closed Sundays during winter) / 0138-57-2839 30-min. bus ride from JR Hakodate Station

Museo del Cavallino

Take the trolley to Jujigai and walk 4 min.

Local Material Museum of Hakodate City A museum of utilitarian items used during the Meiji (1868 - 1912) and Taisho (1912 - 1926) periods. When the building was constructed in 1880, it housed the Kanemori Store of Western Goods. The nostalgia of the century-old building is an added feature of the museum. Admission free / Open 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (closes at 4 p.m. November - March), closed Mondays, national holidays, and the last Friday of every month / 0138-23-3095 Take the trolley to Suehiro-cho and walk 2 min.

The Kanemori Museum Baccarat Collection

Take the trolley to Suehiro-cho and walk 1 min.

Northern Historical Materials Hall

Take the trolley to Jujigai and walk 5 min.