Motomachi is the hillside district above the old waterfront, the best-preserved area of Hakodate's early foreign settlement period and the most atmospheric part of the city for walking. The slopes facing the bay were where foreign traders and diplomats lived and worked after the port opened in 1859, and the Western-style buildings they left behind — churches, consulates, merchant houses — give Motomachi a distinctly different character from other Japanese cities.
The Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church with its green onion dome is the most photographed building in the district. The Former British Consulate is now a museum with a garden. There is also a former Chinese consulate and a Methodist church, all within a short walk. The covered shopping arcade running down the main slope mixes souvenir shops with traditional confectionery makers. The best approach is to walk up from the Kanemori Warehouses, explore the slopes at your own pace, and descend on the far side to the tram stop. The view back down the hill to the bay is good at any time of day.