Feel the Spring in Kikonai at Saraki Cape in 2023 [Kankorinmaru and Tulips

  • Hokkaido
  • Sightseeing
Kanrin-Maru Monument and tulips in full bloom

Cape Saraki, a sightseeing spot overlooking the Tsugaru Straits and Mount Hakodate

Kikonai Town, served by the Hokkaido Shinkansen and the Donan Isaribi Railway, is a town of rich nature with a population of approximately 3,700 and a thriving agriculture, fishing, and livestock industry. Kikonai has long been an important transportation hub for people traveling between Hakodate, Matsumae, and Esashi, and there are many places of interest and historic interest in the town.
This time, we would like to introduce Cape Saraki.

Cape Saraki where the warship "Kanrinmaru" from the end of the Edo period rests.

Hakodate and the Tsugaru Straits can be seen from this spot.
Cape Saraki is located along the national highway about 10 minutes by car from JR Kikonai Station. Standing on the cape, you can see Mt. Hakodate floating in the sea, and on a clear day, you can sometimes see the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture across the Tsugaru Straits, making it a very scenic place.
In the center of the building is a monument to the warship Kanrinmaru, which was built at the end of the Edo period. Completed in 1857, the Kanrinmaru was the main ship of the Shogunate's navy, and in 1860, it served as an escort ship for the Shogunate's envoys to the United States carrying the ratification of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan, and carried over 100 people, including Kaishu Katsu, Yukichi Fukuzawa, and Manjiro John, to San Francisco and back. The ship was also active in making roundtrips to San Francisco and back.
However, amid the turmoil of the Meiji Restoration at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the ship's role eventually changed to that of a cargo carrier for the Hokkaido Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Office).
On September 20, 1871 (Meiji 4), the Kanrin Maru, bound for Otaru via Hakodate from a port in Miyagi Prefecture, ran aground off Cape Saraki. All on board were rescued, but the ship sank a few days later.

Spring is wrapped in tulips - a gift from the Netherlands

Since the Kanrin Maru was built in the Netherlands, tulip bulbs were delivered from the Netherlands, and a tulip flower bed has been maintained at Cape Saraki. Every year from April to May, 50,000 tulips of about 60 varieties adorn the cape.
During the tulip blooming season, a tulip fair is held with product exhibitions and events, attracting many people.
Why don't you enjoy the spring in Kikonai Town with a view of tulips and the Tsugaru Straits this spring?

2023 Tulip Fair May 3 (Wed., national holiday) - May 7 (Sun.)
The Kanrinmaru was built in the Netherlands in 1857.
For train + accommodations in Hakodate/Onuma Area, book the JR East View Dynamic Rail Package.
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