Hakodate: Lights Illuminating Winter - Seasoning the Seasons | NHK WORLD-JAPAN - NHKニュース

Hakodate, a port city located in southern Hokkaido, is known for having one of the best night views in Japan. As the surrounding seas darken, the lights of the city warm the hearts of dwellers. Beneath each light lies the lives of citizens. As the winter cold chills Hakodate, the city shines even brighter.

For over 30 years, the city has focused its efforts on illuminating the cityscape. The familiar catchphrase that has long been used to promote the city is, "A Million-Dollar Night View". At dusk, people gather at the summit of Mount Hakodate. It's just a 3-minute cable car ride to the 334-meter-high summit. Thanks to this ropeway, built in 1958, the spectacular view from Mt. Hakodate became popular in Japan.

The South Hokkaido Railway, operated by a third-sector company, connects Hakodate and Kikonai Stations. The line from Kikonai Station travels through the Seikan Tunnel to Japan's main island. The South Hokkaido Railway plays a vital role as a link to Hakodate, a logistics hub of northern Japan. The railway is known in Japanese as the Donan Isaribi Tetsudo, named after the fishing lights that illuminate the night sea.

Until the 1980s, The northern seas fisheries and the Hakodate Dock brought wealth into Hakodate city. But since then, the population of Hakodate has been steadily declining. Today, there are those who seek to reignite the fading lights and keep them shining. Light has returned to abandoned buildings and old houses that had long stood vacant. When the lights are lit, people come gathering as if they're lured by the light.

From the four winds and the scent of the earth, come the color of the seasons.

Exploring the four seasons of Japan.

Emerging from the dark is Goryokaku in Hakodate, Hokkaido.

Two thousand light bulbs illuminate this star-shaped fort, a historical heritage from the last years of the samurai era.

Hakodate is known for having one of the best night views in Japan.

For over 30 years, the city has focused its efforts on illuminating the cityscape.

At dusk, people gather at the summit of Mount Hakodate.

The familiar catchphrase that has long been used to promote the city is, "A Million-Dollar Night View."

As the surrounding seas darken, the lights of the city warm the hearts of dwellers.

When I first saw the night view as a kid, it felt so close, I tried to touch it.

But since the 1980s, Hakodate's population has been steadily declining.

Now, there is a movement to bring more light back to the city streets.

Residents open their curtains and let the light of daily life shine the night city.

It's an initiative started by the citizens of Hakodate.

With each and every light, sparkling illuminations, and small lights in the back alleys, there are stories that lie within.

where the lights are well-kept and passed on, as people await the arrival of a new season of lights.

serving as a key logistics hub connecting Hokkaido and the mainland of Japan.

Today, a 53.85 km undersea tunnel supports this logistics trunk.

In the past, the Seikan Ferry connected Hakodate Port with Aomori on the main island.

When in Hakodate, first, let an expert driver of a sightseeing taxi show you around its famous night views.

Hakodate has plenty of places to visit in the day, but it's also got plenty to offer at night.

Matsuda Masahiro has been driving taxis for 28 years and knows every tourist spot and detail of the city's history.

One of Hakodate's defining features is its excellent vista.

so they deliberately built this wide slope as a firebreak.

With its fierce sea winds, Hakodate was ravaged by major fires time and again.

Its disaster-resistant urban planning has created a unique cityscape.

Right at the end of this slope is the Mashu-maru, the large vessel used for the Seikan Ferry.

In March 1988, the Mashu-maru became the last Seikan Ferry to cross the strait, after a service of 80 years.

- Shall I take your photo? - Could you?

Masahiro's wish is for visitors to take home as many wonderful memories of Hakodate as possible.

Next, we head to the observatory on Mt. Hakodate, famous for its Million-Dollar Night View.

In winter this road is closed on the left side.

Every young guy in Hakodate wants to take their girlfriend up Mt. Hakodate -

It's a just 3-minute ride to the summit.

Thanks to this ropeway, built in 1958, the spectacular view from Mt. Hakodate became popular in Japan.

- What do you think? - It's so beautiful!

The air is clear, and the lights shine more brilliantly in winter.

Everything looks crystal clear from the 334-meter-high summit.

There is someone increasing the city's lights rather boldly, with their love for Hakodate.

A little way from the city center, dazzling illuminations brighten the streets.

It looks like an amusement park, but what on earth is this place?

This venue where locals come to enjoy the lights is actually a local hamburger chain restaurant found only in Hakodate.

The light display was started ten years ago by founder Oh Ichiro and his daughter Miku, the current manager.

The 360,000 LED lights decorating the store is a winter gift from the owners, the Oh family.

and the whole town gets quieter once it starts snowing.

My hope is that the illumination will brighten up and invigorate everyone.

Ichiro is originally from the port city of Kobe.

In his youth, he left home with an ambition to become an entrepreneur and traveled the world.

In 1970, at age 27, he moved to Hakodate, sensing business potential.

The Hakodate bay area, now popular, was still undeveloped back then.

It was pitch black at night. Not a single streetlight.

There was the sea, a mountain nearby, and many old historical buildings still standing.

I imagined Hakodate could become like that.

The Oh family opened their first hamburger restaurant in 1987.

Its flavors, using Hakodate ingredients, gained popularity, and now they own 17 stores.

The next challenge was securing the right to use the phrase "Million-Dollar Night View," which had previously been trademarked.

We searched everywhere for the person who holds the rights, and eventually found them.

and made it free for everyone to use.

Since 2007, this phrase has been actively used in promoting Hakodate.

People come here from all over Japan.

This is footage of squid fishing boats from 20 years ago.

the catch has fallen to less than one-twentieth of that.

The number of squid fishing boats have decreased by 40 percent over the past 12 years.

is named after the fishing lights that illuminate the night sea.

Beyond the dark sea lie the lights of Hakodate city.

Operated by a third-sector company, the railway connects Hakodate and Kikonai Stations.

The line connecting from Kikonai Station travels through the Seikan Tunnel to Japan's main island.

The South Hokkaido Railway plays a vital role in linking to Hakodate, a logistics hub of northern Japan.

After passenger train operations end late at night, lights still crisscross the tracks.

These are freight trains connecting Hokkaido and Honshu.

The freight trains make forty round trips per day.

pass through this line to destinations across Japan.

Once, the Seikan Ferry was the vital link for logistics connecting Hokkaido and the rest of Japan.

At its peak, the ferries made thirty round trips daily across the Tsugaru Strait.

Goods from north and south were loaded by the trainload, bringing vibrancy to Hakodate.

In 1988, the ferry service was discontinued when the Seikan Tunnel opened.

The South Hokkaido Railway emerged as a new transportation route.

were reinforced to withstand the weight of freight and connected Hakodate to the mainland.

Its 4:00 AM on this winter morning.

After the final freight train passes, the snow removal crew begin their work.

Breaking up frozen snow, the men prevent trains from derailing.

Four teams work on the 38-kilometer route, operating 24 hours a day.

Team leader Sasaki Mitsunori is a 12-year expert.

When it's snowing heavily or a snowstorm, it's a tough job.

But as long as there's a passenger riding, we have to shovel.

Moheji Station, located midway along the South Hokkaido Railway, serves as the base for Mitsunori and his team.

The maintenance crew are in fact local residents who have other jobs such as farmers or carpenters.

They support the railway operations during the winter months only.

It always snows when I team up with Mitsunori. So, I'm praying it won't.

Oddly, it always turns out snowing.

And sure enough, the snow is heavy on this day at minus 6 degrees Celsius.

The area requiring careful work is the shunt where the trains bypass each other.

Since this railway is entirely single-track, snow buildup here would disrupt all operations.

The work continues every day until the snow season ends.

and fishermen once sailed from Hakodate to the coast of Russia.

These northern seas fisheries brought wealth into Hakodate city.

A spin-off of this was the port's shipyard, the Hakodate Dock.

and dining districts and housing complexes increased in the city.

One place reminds us of that prosperity.

It's Taisho-yu, a public bathhouse that operated for 95 years in Hakodate Port before closing in 2022.

Kotake Noriko is the third and last manager.

whose customers included northern seas fishermen and shipyard workers.

It was so crowded back then that the baskets holding customers' clothes were stacked high.

Taisho-yu was cherished by its patrons.

The building, with its unusual design, was constructed by Noriko's grandfather.

My grandfather was a ship builder, so he used to go to Kamchatka on northern sea fishing boats.

Seeing the Russian buildings there inspired him to build the bathhouse like this.

But from the late 1970s, the 200-nautical mile regulation led to the decline of the northern sea fishing.

Impacted also by the oil crisis, shipyards saw over 1,000 people lose their jobs, and related companies went bankrupt.

By the time Noriko took over from her father in 2009, customers were already few and far between.

It gets pitch black here by 9 PM. There used to be so many lights back then.

I'm the third proprietor since my grandfather's time.

Some people came because they liked this building.

So, I'd like to preserve it if I can.

This housing complex, where only few windows are lit now, is a remnant of a prosperous past.

It housed over 2,000 residents at its peak, but today there are only about 800.

It was built in 1968 to cater for population growth during the high economic growth period.

Kikuno-yu is a public bathhouse opened in this housing complex in 1973.

The bathhouse closed once in 2023 due to declining patronage, but the city took over the operations and reopened it.

The apartments in the housing complex have no baths, and the next one is 2 kilometers away.

Kikuno-yu was an answer to the wishes of the residents who had become "bath refugees."

The city's lights of yesteryear have brightened the lives of people, offering a sense of belonging.

Today, there are those who seek to reignite those fading lights and keep them shining.

Drawn by a small light, if you go down this narrow alleyway, you will find...

...a beer bar that was refurbished from an old house built in 1909 but had long stood vacant.

When the lights are lit, people come gathering as if they're lured by them.

Wish I could go back to the real Million-Dollar Night View.

I really want everyone to see that overwhelming glow.

- It used to be prettier. - Yes, the light drew you in.

Light has returned to this abandoned building, constructed in 1921.

Gamo Hiroyuki, who utilizes and reuses old houses, renovated this building while preserving its original design.

For me, the lights of Hakodate are...

the positive resonance born when people meet.

That's where its greatest brilliance lies.

One is the night view looking down from nearby Mt. Hakodate.

The other is the night view of the city seen from distant mountains.

Some locals tend to love the latter more.

The night view from Mt. Hakodate, sparkling like jewels, is of course wonderful.

Boasting a great vista, this cafe opened 20 years ago.

Owner Shimizu Michiko used to work as a writer for magazines in Tokyo.

When she returned to her hometown with her daughter, she discovered this location.

It was around sunset, and the sky turned red, then blue, then dark.

That gradation was so beautiful that I knew this was the perfect spot.

Ultimately, I want to be buried here, and I love it as my final resting place.

Night views! That's our theme for today.

- Night views. - Yes, Hakodate's night views.

There's a brightly lit spot beside the Mt. Hakodate ropeway station.

This is the studio of FM Iruka, a local radio station broadcasting within the city limits.

The night view is made up by everyone turning on their lights.

Yes, Hakodate's night views are the lights of daily life.

FM Iruka was established as Japan's first community-based local FM radio station.

It is operated by the ropeway company at Mt. Hakodate.

the company manager at the time was determined to introduce it to Japan.

and has become an indispensable local media outlet.

It's time for a popular program that airs every Saturday at 5pm.

The Mountain Base station of the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway is absolutely packed.

Let's read some messages from our listeners.

"Today's theme is 'Hakodate's night view,' but I feel bad as I haven't been up there lately."

That's probably the case for most locals.

Everyday, FM Iruka reads over 100 messages from listeners in the community.

when they opened the curtains during a concert at the event hall of the Mt. Hakodate observatory."

A light shines in everyone's heart. One for each person in Hakodate.

Nakano Yuki, a host at FM Iruka, moved from Tokyo to Hakodate twelve years ago.

but as she continued working as a radio host, the way she saw the night view has changed.

I felt a strong sense of reassurance, warmth, and connection whenever I see these lights.

As the winter cold chills Hakodate, the city shines even brighter.

Beneath each light lies the lives of citizens.