Hakodate

Hakodate (häkō'dä'tā) [key], city (1990 pop. 307,249), extreme SW Hokkaido, Japan, on the Tsugaru Strait. Opened (1854) to U.S. ships and a little later (1857) to general foreign trade, it was the chief port of the island until recently replaced by Sapporo. It is linked with Aomori on Honshu by the Seikan Tunnel. A commercial and industrial center, the city's main industries are fishing, shipbuilding, and food processing. Of interest is the Goryokaku, the fort where the Tokugawa shogun made his last stand.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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