Yesterday I spent the night at Hotel Banso in Hakodate, a great onsen hotel. The baths are huge and were exactly what I needed after a rainy day driving.
I woke up early and went to Onuma park, 30 minutes away from Hakodate. It’s a really wonderful place - lots of tiny islands on two lake.

There are a lot of bridges between the little islands so you can go for great walks for 2-3 hours. Or you can also rent paddle or motor boats. It was very windy today so we stuck to walking. I was joined by two local people, ans we had a great time exploring the meanders of the park.

On the park's main square we saw a pumpkin contest - this is the winner, nearly 300 kg!

After a quick ramen lunch, I drove to Hakodate city, where I visited the old motomachi district, a part of town with strong foreign influences. Hakodate was the first Japanese port opened to foreign trade. It became very important on an international level and as a result the motomachi district still bears the signs of that time: a British consulate, a handful of churches including a Russian orthodox one, “fusion” architecture - very pretty and colourful houses with Japanese and European features. It’s a wonderful place to wander and get lost.

Hakodate is also very famous for the night view from its mountain. However when I was there, the summit was covered by clouds. My initial plan was to hike up, but sadly I might have to do it next time I come. I’ll try tomorrow morning if the weather is better.

For my last night in Hokkaido, I checked into Daikokuya Ryokan. A traditional ryokan with great onsen. My room is exactly what I needed - calm, peaceful colours, and enough room for a pre-onsen yoga session followed by what I’m sure will be a wonderful dinner.

Join this walk

Today's journey combines three popular walking routes along the shores of the Onuma and Konuma lakes into a single, pleasant and easy walk.

Date	October 12, 2013
Start Time	9:15
Start	Onuma Koen Station
Goal	Onuma Koen Station
Distance	3 kilometers (about 2 hours)
Terrain	Today we walk across a flat terrain, on easy paved walking paths and nature trails.
Weather	Average daytime high: 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) Average nighttime low: 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) Weather Forecast for Hakodate
Access	Onuma Koen Station is a 25 minute train ride north of Hakodate. More details on how to get to Onuma Koen
Lodgings	There are only a couple of accommodations close to Onuma Park. The nearby city of Hakodate offers more options. Search hotels in Hakodate through Agoda, Booking.com or Japanican Search hotels in Onuma Park through Agoda, Booking.com or Japanican

The volcano towering over Onuma Park is named Mount Komagatake; however, it is not the only mountain in Japan with that name. How many other mountains in Japan are named Komagatake?

The correct answer is: About 18

About 18 mountains across Japan are named Komagatake.

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