Choosing the right transportation can make exploring Hakodate and Hokkaido much easier and more affordable.

For Long Distances: The JR Hokkaido Rail Pass
For longer journeys, the JR Hokkaido Rail Pass is a great option. Available in 5- and 7-day versions, it offers unlimited travel on JR Hokkaido trains, including Limited Express services. If you're planning trips to destinations like Sapporo or Noboribetsu, the pass can quickly pay for itself.

For Rural Exploring: Renting a Car
For exploring beyond the city, renting a car is often the best choice. Popular spots such as Onuma Quasi-National Park, the Esan area, and Mizunashi Kaihin Onsen are easier to reach by car than by public transportation.

For Central Hakodate: Stick to Public Transit
If you're staying in central Hakodate around the Motomachi district, Hakodate Morning Market, and the Bay Area, public transit is usually the better option. The city's tram (streetcar) system is fast, convenient, and often more practical than driving and paying for city-center parking.

Mt. Hakodate Ropeway’s June lunch plan is a convenient daytime option for visitors heading up to the observatory. The set includes lunch at Restaurant Genova and a round-trip ropeway ticket for 2,300 yen. The lunch plan begins June 1 and can be used during the restaurant’s midday entry window.

Note that the plan is not available on June 10 due to ropeway maintenance, and sales may be suspended if the ropeway is stopped or expected to stop because of weather or operating conditions.

Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse’s annual June Flower Market brings flowers, greenery, and small shops to the Bay Area for a two-day weekend event. The event includes a Green Market with local flower shops and miscellaneous goods, a stamp rally around the warehouse, and a large plant life installation by Flower Noritake on the Kanemori Hall stage. Paid workshops are also scheduled over the weekend, including flower basket arranging, seasonal swag making, and bouquet making.

For visitors arriving between June 10–14, BAY Gallery is also hosting the ANIMAL 2026 exhibition, featuring original artwork by 138 artists from a wildlife-themed art book. Since the exhibition overlaps with the Flower Market, it’s a great chance to see what the Red Brick Warehouse area has to offer.

Shiki no Mori Botanical Fair is a one-day greenery event at Donan Shiki no Mori Park, a spacious hillside park on the outskirts of Hakodate. The fair is especially good for visitors who want something quieter and more hands-on, with flower seedlings, garden workshops, handmade goods, and kitchen cars gathered around the Hill House area.

Paid activities include container planting, hanging basket making, and moss-ball making, so it’s great for families or anyone who enjoy nature and crafts. Local participation also gives the event a nice sense of community, with the Ono Agricultural High School antenna shop and other booths planned alongside the main event.

Hakodate Takubokutei’s early summer campaign is a hotel stay plan for travelers planning a night in Yunokawa Onsen. The plan upgrades the dinner buffet drink option to a premium free-flow selection with 30 kinds of sake from Hokkaido and Aomori.

For the second round of the campaign, adult guests also receive a mini sake bottle and ochoko cup, while children receive a 500-yen Lucky Pierrot meal ticket. The official website benefit applies to eligible one-night, two-meal accommodation plans, so check the reservation page carefully before booking.

Yakumo Shrine’s annual festival runs for three days in late June, with mikoshi processions, Matsumae Kagura, stalls, and community events around town. The main festival-side event area is set up around Hapia Yakumo, making it easy for visitors to drop by while walking through the central area.

The Oshamambe Hair Crab Festival is one of the town’s biggest food events, centered on the local hair crab catch from Uchiura Bay. Visitors can expect freshly boiled crab sales, local food stalls, and the All-Japan Hair Crab Eating Contest, which turns the town’s best-known seafood into the main attraction.

The Hakodate Marathon is one of southern Hokkaido’s major summer sports events, with full and half marathon divisions starting and finishing at Chiyodai Park Athletic Stadium. The certified course takes runners through the city, making race day a good chance for visitors to see Hakodate from the roadside as locals and runners move through the course.

The race starts at 9 AM after the opening ceremony, with the full marathon closing at 3 PM. Roadside viewing is free, while race participation requires advance entry and a separate fee.

Mt. Komagatake’s hiking season begins June 1, opening the Akai River trail for summer and autumn hiking. The route is currently limited to the Akai River trail, with “Umanose” set as the final permitted point, so hikers should not go beyond the restricted rope line near the crater area.

The mountain gives visitors a direct look at southern Hokkaido’s volcanic landscape, with broad views toward Onuma when the weather is clear. Because Mt. Komagatake is an active volcano, check the latest official notices before heading out, submit the hiking entry form at the 6th station trailhead, and plan your route so you are back at the 6th station parking area by 3 PM.

Caution!
Japan has recently been experiencing an increase in bear encounters out in the wild. Before heading out to any wooded areas, especially in the mountains, we highly recommend taking precautions such as checking Kuma Map for bear activity in your destination, and considering carrying bear spray as a precautionary measure.

Hakodate Racecourse’s summer season gives the city one of its signature spectator events, with weekend racing held from mid-June to mid-July. The racecourse is known for its open setting, ocean views, and easy tram access, making it more approachable than many large urban racecourses. The 2026 season runs on Saturdays and Sundays from June 13 through July 19. General same-day admission is 100 yen, with reserved seating available separately.

Hakodate Keirin is Hokkaido’s only keirin venue and the northernmost keirin track in Japan. From spring through early autumn, the venue holds race days with night racing as a major part of the schedule, making it a practical evening option for visitors who want a live sports event after sightseeing. General admission is free, with paid seating available for visitors who want a more comfortable view. A free shuttle bus from Hakodate Station is also scheduled on Hakodate race days.

Hokkaido Hakodate Museum of Art’s early summer collection exhibits give visitors two ways to see the museum’s holdings. “Kaneko Otei and Kawabata Literature” introduces Otei’s modern calligraphy through works inspired by the writings of Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese Nobel Prize winner in literature. The New Collection Exhibition introduces works newly added to the museum’s collection, including pieces just acquired in fiscal year 2025. Together, the two exhibits make an easy pairing for visitors stopping by Goryokaku, offering a look at modern calligraphy and the museum’s growing archive.

“Beautiful Japanese Painting” is a special exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the Hokkaido Hakodate Museum of Art. The exhibition presents works from the CP Kasei Co., Ltd. collection, with a focus on major modern nihonga artists including Yokoyama Taikan, Hishida Shunso, and Sugiyama Yasushi. The exhibition traces how nihonga developed from the Meiji period onward, when artists worked with older Japanese painting traditions while responding to rapid Westernization and modern change.

This mini exhibition at Hakodate City Museum looks at Helen Keller’s visit to Hakodate in 1937, focusing on her time in Japan and the ways people experience the world through touch, sound, memory, and imagination. One of the key local episodes connected to the exhibition is Keller’s visit to the former Hakodate School for the Blind and Deaf, where she touched shrine and temple models made as teaching materials. Those models were later designated as Hakodate City tangible cultural properties.

The Hokkaido Soft Ice Cream Rally is a summer stamp rally that turns soft serve into a reason to explore. About 230 shops around Hokkaido are participating in 2026, and visitors can join by smartphone, collect stamps at participating stores, and apply for prizes after visiting three or more shops. Consider this an easy add-on to your Hakodate sightseeing adventure!

The Nanae Akamatsu Kaido Summer Evening Festival is a relaxed local summer festival held at Akamatsu Park in Nanae, just outside central Hakodate. The two-day event brings food booths, drinks, shooting games, lottery-style activities, and stage performances into the park, making it an easy evening stop for travelers staying in the Hakodate or Onuma area. Because it runs from late morning into the evening, visitors can drop by casually for festival food during the day or stay later on Saturday when the event continues until 8 PM.

Hokkaido Highway Show Area 2026 brings local food, specialty products, tourism booths, and stage events to Funkawan Panorama Park in Yakumo. The event is built for travelers by car, with regional booths and local gourmet gathered in one place near the expressway route.

The 2026 Yakumo event also ties in with Funkawan Panorama Park’s anniversary and Jomon-related programs, including workshops, music, radio programming, and an appearance by Hakunryu, a draft horse from Obihiro. It is a useful stop if you are driving between Hakodate and Sapporo and want a proper break with food, shopping, and local activities. With radio shows, live music, food and shopping, and a stamp rally for kids, there's something fun for everyone to enjoy!

The Hakodate Port Fireworks Festival opens Hakodate’s summer fireworks season over the harbor, with the display stretching from the Toyokawa Pier area toward the Mashu-maru waterfront. The 2026 theme is “Summer Night Music Café,” with creative fireworks, music, and talk segments staged around the port night view. If the weather is bad, the event is scheduled to move to July 20.

The Yakumo Dashi Float Parade is one of Hokkaido’s three major andon festivals, with large handmade lantern floats moving through the town’s main streets at night. The floats are made by local groups, and the parade mixes glowing decorations with taiko, flutes, festival music, and lively performances from the people pulling them through town.

The Esashi Kamome Island Festival is a summer maritime festival held around Kamome Island, the symbol of Esashi. The festival draws on the town’s sea culture with stage events, food stalls, folk performance, and programs connected to the island and surrounding waterfront.

The 2026 event is scheduled for July 4 and 5, with fireworks planned on the first evening. The detailed 2026 program has not been fully posted yet, however, you can still check out last year's itinerary to get an idea of what to expect. And of course, stay up to date by checking the official event page below for new info!

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters bring farm-league baseball to Hakodate for a two-day series against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Teo Ocean Stadium Hakodate. The stadium is part of Chiyodai Park, making it easy to combine the game with other stops around central Hakodate.
Both games start at 1 PM, with gates scheduled to open at 11:30 AM. July 4 also includes a post-game fan interaction event, so that day is the better pick if you want a little extra time with other fans after the final inning.

Onuma’s classic island sightseeing cruise is an easy way to see the national park from the water without committing to a long outdoor tour. The boat loops through Lake Onuma and Lake Konuma in about 30 minutes, passing through the island-dotted scenery with views of Mt. Komagatake when the weather is clear. Regular service is listed from May 1 through October 31, with departures scheduled through the day. Since lake tours can be affected by weather and operating conditions, check the operator before visiting.

Continuing from the June racing schedule, Hakodate Racecourse stays active through July 19 with weekend races overlooking the Tsugaru Strait and Mt. Hakodate. July visitors can still catch the final stretch of the summer meet, including free-entry days on July 4, 11, and 18. The racecourse is close to the Racecourse-mae tram stop, making it one of the easier spectator events to add to a city itinerary. Admission is generally 100 yen, with free entry on select days including July 4, 11, and 18.

Hakodate Outdoor Theater stages the city’s history at Goryokaku Park, using the real setting of one of Hakodate’s most important historical sites. The 2026 production, “Hoshi no Shiro, Ashita ni Kagayake,” covers episodes from Ainu culture and the opening of the port to the Battle of Hakodate, the city’s fires, and its recovery over time, using music, movement, swordplay, lighting, and citizen performers. And with the introduction of a free simultaneous interpretation system (UD Talk), foreigner visitors and people with hearing impairments can fully enjoy the event with accompanying subtitles or audio using their smartphones.

Note: Because it's an outdoor event, be sure to take proper precautions such as proper clothing, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses for sunny days, or an umbrella/raincoat for rainy days.

teamLab Learn and Play! Future Park brings interactive digital art to the Hokkaido Hakodate Museum of Art for a summer-long exhibition. The concept is built around collaborative creativity, with works that respond to drawings, movement, and touch.

The lineup includes Sketch Aquarium: Connected World, where visitors’ drawings appear inside a projected aquarium, along with installations such as Sliding through the Fruit Field, Hopscotch for Geniuses, A Table where Little People Live, and Sketch Factory. It is a strong indoor option for families, especially during hot or rainy summer days.

Matsumae Clan Mansion’s Floating Hydrangeas event fills the waterways of the reconstructed castle town with floating hydrangea blossoms. The flowers sit between period-style buildings, giving the historical setting a lighter seasonal look during the hottest part of July.
The display runs for ten days, with evening light-ups on July 11 and 18. Those two nights are the best time to visit if you want photos after dark, since the mansion stays open until 9 PM.

After a pause in regular service, the vintage Hakodate Haikara-go tram returns in 2026. The restored streetcar is based on a vehicle originally built in 1910, later reconstructed with details like wooden interiors, rattan hanging straps, open decks, and the old-fashioned rescue net at the front and rear. The restored tram runs on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from June 6 through October 12 as a fully reservation-based sightseeing ride.

Passengers book in advance through the DohNa web app, pay by credit card, and use a smartphone ticket, with seating capacity managed so everyone can sit. The route is also focused on the main sightseeing corridor between Goryokaku-koen-mae and Hakodate Dock-mae, with stops including Matsukazecho, Hakodate-ekimae, Jujigai, and Suehirocho. Since it does not operate during the Hakodate Port Festival period, visitors planning an August trip should check the operating dates beforehand.

Hakodate Park Kodomo-no-kuni, or Children's World, is a useful family stop for a lighter summer day, especially with younger children. Entry is free, and rides use a ticket system, so families can choose whichever attractions they’d like to use without having to commit to a full day at the amusement park.

The rides are small and retro, with a registered tangible cultural property Ferris wheel described as “Japan’s oldest Ferris wheel”. Other attractions include a Hokkaido Shinkansen-themed train ride, merry-go-round, sky chair, and other simple rides for younger visitors.

Mizunashi Kaihin Onsen is one of Hakodate’s most unusual outdoor bathing spots: a natural seaside hot spring built into the rocky shore at Esanmisaki. At low tide, visitors can soak while looking out over the Pacific; at high tide, the bath disappears beneath the sea.

The city publishes a daily bathing schedule based on tide levels, so be sure to check before you go. Even during the listed bathing windows, rough weather or high waves can make bathing unsafe, so stay alert. There are separate changing rooms by the coast, and swimsuits are allowed.

Hakodate Port Festival is the city’s biggest summer festival, filling early August with fireworks, parades, dancing, and food stalls around central Hakodate. The opening night is led by the Doshin Fireworks Display over the harbor, with wide star mines and water fireworks launched from the Green Island area.

After the fireworks, the city shifts into parade mode with Wasshoi Hakodate, where groups dance through the streets to Hakodate Port Odori, children’s Ika Odori, and the city’s famous Hakodate Ika Odori. The main routes usually cover areas such as Jujigai, Matsukazecho, Chiyodai, and Goryokaku, giving visitors more than one place to catch the festivities.

The Yunokawa Onsen Fireworks Festival is the hot spring district’s main summer night event, held near the lower reaches of the Matsukura River. The fireworks rise close to the onsen area, so visitors staying in Yunokawa can reach the viewing area without leaving the neighborhood.
It’s perfect after a long day of sightseeing, whether you watch from the riverside, or from the springs in your hotel.

The Matsumae Castle Town Period Festival is Matsumae’s Obon-period summer event, centered on the town’s identity as Hokkaido’s only traditional castle town. In recent years, the festival has included the Bike Musha Parade, with riders wearing armor inspired by the Matsumae domain, along with a pedestrian street, food and drink stalls, local performances, Bon Odori, and fireworks.

While the exact 2026 schedule has not yet been confirmed, you can expect it around mid-August. Please check Matsumae’s official tourism site for the latest updates.

The Hakodate International Folk Arts Festival returns to the Motomachi area for seven days of music, dance, performance, food, and folk goods from around the world. The main venue is Motomachi Park, surrounded by Hakodate’s hillside churches and historic buildings.
It’s held together with Mogu Mogu Festival, so visitors can combine outdoor performances with festival food and drinks. A sponsor pass is required for the Motomachi Park venue, with different pass types depending on how many days you plan to attend.

The Shikabe Sea and Hot Spring Festival is the town’s biggest summer event, held around Shikabe Fishing Port. The program usually includes a cutter boat race, local products, a touch aquarium, bingo, stage events, and fireworks over the fishing port.

The fireworks are the main evening draw, with the display launched close to the waterfront so the bursts reflect over the harbor. The official tourism page describes the event as an annual festival held every third Saturday in August, but as the detailed 2026 schedule has not been posted yet, be sure to check the event page again before visiting.

Onuma’s Lake Terrace canoe tours offer two quieter ways to get onto the water during the summer season. The morning tour runs from 6 to 8 AM, when the lake is still cool and calm, while the night canoe runs from 7 to 9 PM for a darker, slower look at the water after sunset.
Both tours depart from Hakodate Onuma Tsuruga Resort EPUY’s lake terrace and include a landing on an uninhabited island. Reservations are required by 5 PM the day before.

This Detective Conan real escape game brings the 2026 nationwide “Conan Escape” tour to Hakodate for two days in August. The story is an original sequel to the movie Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi, with participants stepping into the role of police officers working with Conan, Sera, Hagiwara Chihaya, and other characters to stop an out-of-control automated bus and save Ran.

The game is played indoors in teams of up to six people, with a 60-minute time limit and an overall event time of about two hours. Since the Hakodate stop falls right at the beginning of Hakodate Port Festival, it works well as a daytime indoor activity before the evening fireworks and festival events.

Note: The event is in Japanese, so it’s recommended for visitors with a companion who can translate as they play, and those who feel confident in their language abilities to follow the story, written clues, and interact with teammates.

After its July outdoor run at Goryokaku Park, Hakodate Outdoor Theater moves indoors to Hakodate Performing Arts Center for two August performances. The indoor version presents the same 2026 production, “Hoshi no Shiro, Ashita ni Kagayake,” but in a seated theater setting.

The performance follows Hakodate’s history through scenes connected to Ainu culture, the opening of the port, the Battle of Hakodate, fires, recovery, and the city’s later growth. If the outdoor July performances feel too weather-dependent, the August dates are the safer option.

The Otei Memorial Room’s summer exhibition introduces Kaneko Otei, the calligrapher from Matsumae, through works that show his readable and approachable style of modern calligraphy. One featured work is based on Yamamura Bocho’s poem “Fukei: Jungin Mozaiku,” giving visitors a clear example of how Otei turned modern poetry into visual expression.

The exhibition runs at the same museum and over the same period as teamLab Learn and Play! Future Park Hakodate, so visitors can combine a large interactive digital-art exhibition with a quieter look at modern Japanese calligraphy.

Hakodate’s summer calendar draws on the region’s port history, seafood culture, outdoor performance traditions, and museum network. From early botanical and food events to the Hakodate Port Festival, Yunokawa Onsen Fireworks, outdoor theater, and Jomon-related exhibitions, the season offers a wide mix of day trips and evening events across southern Hokkaido.