I toured the Hakodate and Matsumae area for cherry blossoms, and the Trappistine Monastery near Hakodate Airport, on the outskirts of Hakodate, is also a famous cherry blossom viewing spot.
We visited the Trappistine Monastery after stopping by Lucky Pierrot's Togura Store.
Trappistine Monastery
Location : 346 Kamiyukawa-cho, Hakodate
Access : 10 minutes drive from Hakodate Airport, 30 minutes from Hakodate Station
(Paid parking is available.)
Buses are also available from Hakodate Station, so visitors without a rental car can take a local bus.
The Trappistine Convent was founded in 1898 by eight nuns from a French convent. It was the first convent in Japan.
(Sign at the entrance)
(Main gate)
The Trappistine Monastery is located on top of a hill, so you will have to climb up the hill.
The first statue after entering the main gate is that of St. Michael.
This statue was erected after the Pacific War as a thank you for protecting the town of Hakodate from the fires of the Pacific War, and is now in its second generation.
It is said that St. Michael was designated as the patron of Japan by Francis Xavier, the Jesuit who is said to have introduced Christianity to Japan.
To the left is the "Cathedral of the Travelers," a place where visitors pray.
It is said to have an organ and murals, but unfortunately we were not able to visit inside on this day.
There is a statue of St. Mary, which is called the "statue of Our Lady of Mercy" because she is smiling with her arms outstretched.
Lourdes and the monastery are located at the back up the stairs.
There are many cherry trees, so the actual view is even more spectacular than the pictures.
This is a shot of the front yard from the middle of the stairs.
There is the Cave of Lourdes, which is a mysterious landscape with a mixture of Western and Japanese trees and other atmospheres.
Climbing to the top leads to a square with a statue of St. Theresa, and the large buildings beyond are the cathedral and priory of the Trappistine Monastery.
There were no cherry trees on the cathedral and priory side.
Please note that you are not allowed to enter the monastery's cathedral, of course.
From the plaza with the statue of St. Theresa, on a clear day, one can see the city of Hakodate and even Mt. Hakodate, but unfortunately the weather was cloudy that day.
Still, it was a wonderful view of the cherry blossoms when looking down on the front yard.
To the right of the statue of St. Michael, there is a store and a museum.
In the museum, you can learn about the history of the Trappistine Monastery. My partner and I were talking about how admirable the people who built this place in the past were.
At the store, they sell madeleines, a specialty of the Trappistine monastery, and cookies. Since it was our arrival day, we decided to abandon the purchase and go to our next destination, Goryokaku.
