Goryokaku (五稜郭) is Japan’s first Western-style fortress, built in the late Edo period in what is now Hakodate (函館), Hokkaido. It was constructed by the Tokugawa shogunate to defend against foreign invasions.
The word ‘稜 (ryo)’ means ‘corner’ or ‘angle’ so ‘Goryokaku’ translates to ‘a fortress with five corners.’ When viewed from above, it takes on a distinctive star shape.
Now designated as a special historic site of Japan, Goryokaku was constructed between 1857 and 1864.
As the dates suggest, it was built during the upheaval of the late Edo period, and it became a major battleground during the Boshin (戊辰) War. One of the most famous figures to fight here was Hijikata Toshizo (土方歳三), the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi (新選組).
Why was Hijikata, who had made his name in Kyoto as the ‘ oni no fukucho (鬼の副長; demon vice-commander),’ fighting in Hokkaido? And why was this fortress designed in such an unusual shape?
Let’s explore these questions in detail.
The people who built Goryokaku under the shogunate’s orders
Hokkaido was historically known as ‘Ezochi (蝦夷地).’ The Tokugawa shogunate established its base in Hakodate, a natural harbour that had long flourished and was the closest point to Honsho (本州).
In 1853 (Kaei 6), Commodore Perry arrived from the United States, demanding that Japan open its ports to foreign trade. In response, the shogunate agreed to open not only Nagasaki but also Shimoda and Hakodate. Soon after, Britain, France, and Russia made similar demands.
Ahead of this opening, the shogunate placed Ezochi under its direct control, taking it from the Matsumae (松前) domain. Two senior retainers, Hori Toshihiro (堀利煕) and Takeuchi Yasunori (竹内保徳), were dispatched as Hakodate Magistrates. Their mission was to construct a fortress in Hakodate capable of withstanding bombardment from foreign warships before the port’s official opening.
The man tasked with designing this fortress was a young engineer named Takeda Ayasaburo (武田斐三郎), who was only in his twenties at the time. Having studied Dutch studies (Rangaku; 蘭学) under Ogata Koan (緒方洪庵) and military strategy under Sakuma Shozan (佐久間象山), he was well-versed in Western coastal defences, fortification techniques, and shipbuilding, in addition to speaking English and French.
Ayasaburo decided to build Goryokaku in an area overlooking Hakodate Bay, then known as Kameda (亀田) Village. To establish multiple layers of defence, he also constructed Benten (弁天) Battery (also referred to as Daiba (台場)) within Hakodate Bay.
Construction of Goryokaku began in 1857 and was completed seven years later in May 1864. By 1866, all auxiliary facilities had been finalised. The Hakodate Magistrate’s Office was established within its walls, making it the political centre of Ezochi.
The fortress was an enormous undertaking, symbolising the shogunate’s power. Even excluding the outer moat, its enclosed area spanned approximately 125,500 square metres—equivalent to three Tokyo Domes. The water moat was up to 30 metres wide, with an outer perimeter stretching 1.8 kilometres. The total cost amounted to around 100,000 ryo (両), a vast sum at the time.
Why is it star-shaped?
The most distinctive feature of Goryokaku is its unique, snowflake-like shape.
This design is known as a star fort or bastion fort, a construction method that originated in 15th-century Italy.
The primary advantage of this shape is its ability to eliminate blind spots in defence.
Imagine an enemy attempting to storm the fortress from Point A. As they advance, they would be vulnerable to artillery fire from the bastions at Points B and E, striking their left and right flanks, respectively.
If these defensive positions were circular instead, minor blind spots would emerge at the tangent points where the circles meet.
The star fort design was developed as the most effective way to eliminate these blind spots. It became particularly widespread in the Netherlands, and remnants of similar forts can still be found across Europe today.
Hijikata Toshizo’s last stand at Goryokaku
Although Goryokaku was built as a fortress to prevent foreign invasions, ironically, it was used not in a battle against foreign forces but in Japan’s internal conflict—the Boshin War.
In September 1868, the remnants of the defeated Tokugawa forces, led by Enomoto Takeaki (榎本武揚 also known as Kamajiro (釜次郎)), escaped from Shinagawa (品川) Bay. Stopping at Sendai (仙台) en route, they gathered remaining loyalist troops, including the bakufu (幕府) deserters commanded by Otori Keisuke (大鳥圭介). With a total force of approximately 3,000 men, they landed in Ezochi.
Enomoto petitioned the new Meiji government, requesting that Ezochi be granted to the former Tokugawa retainers. His aim was to establish a separate government centred around Hakodate—what would later be known as the Enomoto Government or the Republic of Ezo.
As a teenager, Enomoto had served as a page to the aforementioned Hakodate Magistrate, Hori Toshihiro, assisting in the survey of Ezochi. During this time, he developed a close relationship with Takeda Ayasaburo, who is said to have treated him like a younger brother.
Among the troops that joined Enomoto’s forces in Sendai was Hijikata Toshizo.
Following the Battle of Toba–Fushimi (鳥羽・伏見) in Kyoto, Hijikata retreated to the Kanto (関東) region. He continued to fight as he moved northward through Utsunomiya (宇都宮) and Aizu (会津), eventually joining Enomoto’s army in Sendai. He was later appointed Army Magistrate (equivalent to a deputy commander) under Otori Keisuke.
Despite Enomoto’s efforts to negotiate for an independent government in Ezochi, the Meiji administration rejected his request. In March 1869, the new government dispatched an expeditionary force to suppress Enomoto’s faction. This final phase of the Boshin War is known as the Battle of Hakodate. The commander leading the government forces was Kuroda Kiyotaka (黒田清隆), who would later become Japan’s Prime Minister.
The Enomoto army fought both on land and at sea, but their principle naval ship, Kaiyomaru (開陽丸), was lost in a storm. Although Goryokaku had already been officially transferred to the new government from the former Tokugawa bakufu, Enomoto’s forces occupied it. As they were gradually cornered, they took their last stand inside the fortress.
Desperate to uphold the honour of the Tokugawa shogunate, Enomoto’s troops fought fiercely from within Goryokaku. However, in May 1869, Hijikata Toshizo—who led many of the remaining troops—was fatally shot near the fortress. There are various accounts of his final moments, but records from Shinsengumi members who fought alongside him have survived.
Seven days after Hijikata’s death, on 18 May 1869, Enomoto surrendered. Goryokaku was handed over to the Meiji government, and his vision of an independent Ezo government was never realised.
With the end of the Battle of Hakodate, the Boshin War came to a close, marking the beginning of Japan’s modern era. In many ways, the Battle of Hakodate was a fight of the soul for the last of the Tokugawa loyalists—a battle they could not abandon. It was none other than the Goryokaku, that had been the final stage they fought on.
References
Hoshi Ryoichi (星亮一), Hakodate Goryokaku (箱館五稜郭), 1989, Seibido (成美堂) Publishing
Kikuchi Isao (菊池勇夫),Goryokaku no tatakai (五稜郭の戦い): Ezochi no shuen (蝦夷地の終焉, 2015, Yoshikawa Kobunkan (吉川弘文館)
Miura Masayuki (三浦正幸) (ed.), Koshashin de miru bakumatsu no shiro (古写真で見る幕末の城), 2020, Yamakawa (山川) Publishing
Hakodate City Official Tourism Website Hakobura (はこぶら)
Web Edition of ‘Nihon daihyakka zensho (日本大百科全書)’
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/culture-rock/198279/
