Designed by Dutch scholar Takeda Hizaburo under the orders of the Tokugawa Shogunate and completed in 1864, it was the first star-shaped Western-style castle in Japan and was the scene of the Hakodate War, the last battle of the Boshin War.

Today, it is open to the public as a park, and in spring, it is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in southern Hokkaido, with approximately 1,600 Someiyoshino cherry trees in full bloom. In winter, the moat is lit up to create a fantastic star-shaped illumination event called “Hoshi-no-Yume” (Dream of the Five Ridges Star).

The Hakodate Magistrate's Office, a historical restoration of which was partially completed in 2010 and the interior is now open to the public, is located within the enclosure, and the view of Goryokaku from the adjacent Goryokaku Tower is spectacular.