Goryōkaku
Goryōkaku (五稜郭?) is a star fort in the Japanese city of Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido.[1] It was the main fortress of the short-lived Republic of Ezo.
History
Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Hisaburō. His plan was based on the work of the French architect Vauban.[1] 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 to protect the Tsugaru Strait against a possible invasion by the Russian fleet.[1]
Goryōkaku is famous as the site of the last battle of the Boshin War (Goryōkaku no Tatakai). The fighting lasted for a week (June 20–27, 1869).[2]
Park
Today, Goryōkaku is a park. It has been declared a Special Historical Site and is home to the Hakodate city museum. The grounds are a favorite spot for cherry-blossom viewing in spring.
See also
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- Benten Daiba, another key fortress of the Republic of Ezo.
- Citadel Hill, a similar shaped fortress in Nova Scotia, Canada
References
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External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
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100 Fine Castles of Japan by region
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| Hokkaidō |
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| Kantō | ||
| Chūbu | ||
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| Kyūshūa | ||
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a including Okinawa.
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Goryōkaku" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 259.
- ↑ Nussbaum, "Goryōkaku no Tatakai" at p. 259.
