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is a
star fort A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, meaning 'Italian outline') is a fortification in a style developed during the early modern period in response to the ascendancy of gunpowder weapons such as c ...
in the Japanese city of
Hakodate is a Cities of Japan, city and seaports of Japan, port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 househol ...
on the island of
Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
. The fortress was completed in 1866. It was the main headquarters of the short-lived
Republic of Ezo The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...
.


History

''Goryōkaku'' was designed in 1855 by Takeda Ayasaburō, a
Rangaku ''Rangaku'' (Kyūjitai: , ), and by extension , is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the countr ...
scholar. He studied the fortified cities of Europe in the early modern period to design a fort that could protect against battles using guns and cannons. It took nearly seven years for the construction.url=https://www.goryokaku-tower.co.jp/en/history/ The fortress was completed in 1866, two years before the collapse of the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
. It is shaped like a five-pointed star. This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire. The fort was built by the Tokugawa shogunate, he ordered Takeda Ayasaburō to design the fort for the purpose of protecting Tsugaru Strait.url=https://www.goryokaku-tower.co.jp/en/history/ It became the capital of the
Republic of Ezo The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...
, a state that existed only in 1869. It was the site of the last battle of the
Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Impe ...
between the Republic and the
Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...
. The fighting lasted for a week (June 20–27, 1869).


Park

Today, Goryōkaku is a park declared as a Special Historical Site, being a part of the Hakodate city museum and a citizens' favorite spot for cherry-blossom viewing in spring.


See also

*
List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments To protect Japan's cultural heritage, the country's government selects through the Agency for Cultural Affairs important items and designates them as Cultural Properties of Japan, Cultural Properties under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Pro ...
* Benten Daiba, another key fortress of the Republic of Ezo * Hekirichi Bastion Fort, a predecessor to the Goryokaku bastion fortress Takeda Ayasaburo, the designer of Goryokaku, and Fujiwara shume, the designer of Hekirichi Bastion Fort, studied together under Sakuma Shozan, a leading pioneer of Western learning in Japan at the time (The names of both individuals can be confirmed in the list of disciples calle
"及門録"
.
and the first star fort in Japan (Built in 1855) . * Citadel Hill, a similar shaped fortress in Nova Scotia, Canada * Fort Bourtange, a similarly shaped fortress in the Netherlands * List of foreign-style castles in Japan *
Palmanova Palmanova () is a town and (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northeast Italy. The town is an example of a star fort of the late Renaissance, built up by the Venetian Republic in 1593. Th ...


References


Further reading

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External links


Japan Atlas: Goryokaku FortGoryokaku Tower
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goryokaku Boshin War Special Historic Sites Buildings and structures in Hakodate Coastal fortifications Star forts 19th-century fortifications in Japan Hanami spots of Japan Tourist attractions in Hakodate Hokkaido Heritage Military history of Hokkaido