My first visit to Hakodate started with an arrival at the main train station in the late afternoon. After checking into the Hotel Route Inn Grantia Hakodate Ekimae, I decided to hit the streets and explore my immediate vicinity. The night was warm, the sky was clear and, after exploring the Motomachi Area, I climbed aboard the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway. In my two hours atop the mountain I saw the city transform from sun-drenched to nightfall. On my way back to the hotel, I walked back down towards the Russian Orthodox Church and past the Red-Brick Warehouses before retiring for the evening.