Photo: 掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0
The historyWhy this city looks like nowhere else in the country
Read the story →
The last standA French-style star fort, a five-month republic, and the end of the samurai
Read the story →
The first peopleWhose island this was, and what a visitor should understand
Read the story →
The seaCold water, kelp, and the town that supplies Japan's flavour
Read the story →
The tableRussian curry, a Bohemian sausage maker, and a burger chain that refuses to leave town
Read the story →Cruise seasons run spring to autumn, but the port changes underneath them.
Goryokaku's ~1,500 trees trace the star around late April, with evening illumination.
Beautiful walking weather — but sea fog starts threatening the night view.
Surume-ika returns, and the morning market's best months begin.
The best eating of the year, and the worst odds on the mountain.
Hokkaido summer: gentle by Japanese standards, and the fog eases.
Crisp air, squid still running, night-view odds at their best.
Goryokaku turns; the slopes photograph beautifully in low light.
Scallops improving, crab returning, the air at its most transparent.
Deep snow and the year's best crab — but the Orthodox church closes to visitors.
No typing needed — jump straight in:
Just docked? — the gangway toolStart from your shipThe ride from every berthAsk the editorGlossary
