Goryōkaku was designed in 1855 by Takeda Ayasaburō, a scholar of Dutch.

[2] He studied the fortified cities of Europe in the early modern period to design a fort that could protect against battles using guns and cannons.

This allowed for greater numbers of gun emplacements on its walls than a traditional Japanese fortress, and reduced the number of blind spots where a cannon could not fire.

It was the site of the last battle of the Boshin War between the Republic and the Empire of Japan.

Today, Goryōkaku is a park declared as a Special Historical Site, being a part of the Hakodate city museum and a citizens' favorite spot for cherry-blossom viewing in spring.