Shiryokaku fort (四稜郭)
Shiryokaku fort is a fort built by the Ezo Republic (the Hakodate Government) at the time of the Hakodate War, in 1869, in the present-day Hakodate City, Hokkaido.
Location and Summary
The fort, which is surrounded by an empty moat, has the length of about 100 meters on the long side and the area of about 21500 square meters. The fort was named after the four acute-angled corners of it ("Shiryokaku" literally means a fort with four corners in Japanese).
Shiryokaku fort was built at the site about 3 kilometers away from Goryokaku fort, as a subsidiary castle to support it. It is said that the fort was built in a rush by soldiers and local residents who were recruited for the construction work. However, Shiryokaku fort, which was too small to accommodate besieged armies and did not have facilities such as water wells, was vulnerable. It is actually a field fortification rather than a western-style castle.
It is said that the construction was directed by Keisuke OTORI or Jules Brunet.
In 1934, Shiryokaku fort was designated as a national historic site.
The area around the site turns into a field of lilies of the valley in May.
Location
Jinkawa-cho, Hakodate City