Mt. Hakodate Ropeway - Mountain Base Station — Attraction in Hakodate

Hakodate Million Dollar Night View

📍Mount Hakodate, Hokkaido

🇯🇵 23/12/24 Our adventure began at 2:30pm, leaving the cozy charm of the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses behind to trek uphill to the Mount Hakodate Ropeway base station. Imagine this: heavy snow, icy slopes, and the relentless chill—all part of the experience in Hakodate’s winter wonderland. By 3pm, we joined the queue for the first ropeway ride of the day, ascending to the legendary summit.

Once at the top, the next mission began: securing a window seat at the iconic Genova Restaurant, which opens at 4pm. With seating for only about 35-40 lucky diners, we waited patiently for an hour Why? So we could capture an epic hour-long time-lapse and photo of the stunning Hakodate twilight transitioning into night.

The views from Mount Hakodate are world-class—literally. Recognized with a 3-star rating by Michelin Green Guide Japan, the city lights spread out like a glittering blanket below, flanked by the ocean on either side. But the adventure wasn’t over yet.

At 6:15pm, we faced another queue—this time to descend. The wait stretched to half an hour, standing outside under strong winds and swirling snow. Was it cold? Absolutely. Was it worth it? That’s for you to decide.

Hakodate is also the setting of Detective Conan's "One Million Dollar Goryokaku”

#hakodate #hokkaido #函館山 #服部平次 #100万の夜景...

The Mt. Hakodate Ropeway - Mountain Base Station offers a ticket to one of the most stunning views, albeit at a price that some may find steep. However, once you reach the top, the breathtaking panorama might just make you forget the cost. The second floor houses a food area that, surprisingly, doesn't hit your wallet as hard as expected, though it's still a notch above the usual Hakodate prices.

When it comes to the lines, getting in typically doesn't require a long wait, but the queue to leave, especially after sunset, can stretch significantly, sometimes even outside the building into the chilly air. This is because most visitors aim to catch the mesmerizing sunset view, which is undoubtedly worth the chill. If you prefer to avoid the long wait in the cold, consider spending some extra time in the restaurant or browsing the souvenir shop until the line dwindles. It’s a small price to pay for witnessing one of the most beautiful sunsets that you...

Very nice view from above.

Just don’t like how crowded the cable car is to the top and back. They make it full and it’s squeezy before sending it on the way.

You have to wait 10-15mins for every ride because it takes time for the car to travel.

Up on the mountain, there are at least 4 different view points to see Hakodate, so just know that you don’t have to settle for the view behind the glass. Just go up to the 3rd or 4th view point and you can get better photos.

The best time to go is the 4pm slot in winter. Or if other seasons, you wanna choose the time that is 45mins before sunset and stay until it gets dark so you get two views in one trip.

There’s a lot of people who camp at the viewpoints for the best photos by the way. So don’t carry your hopes too high if you’re planning to get great ones, unless you pay (there’s a spot they cordoned off.)

Walking down is the mountain is fast and easy because it’s steep....