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Hakodate, a seaport on the lower eastern coast of Hokkaido, is normally the first stop for travelers coming to the island from Honshu. Founded in 1454, Hakodate was one of four Japanese ports opened to foreign trade in 1859 as a result of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce that Japan signed with the U.S. the prior year. The city is famous for its fresh seafood (witness the daily morning market, where all kinds of fish, squid, crabs, and other seafood are sold), and is known for its ramen (where sliced squid is used instead of braised pork as a topping in the soup).
Hakodate
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This is the sign for the Motomachi Roman Catholic Church in Hakodate. After the first Catholic missionary, the Reverend Father Mermet de Cashon, arrived in Hakodate in November 1859, he built a chapel in 1861. The current structure was built in 1924 after the previous ones burnt down in 1868 and 1921. The altar was contributed by Pope Benedict XV and is the only altar in Japan to have such an honor.
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