Originally Posted by
Pickles
Hakodate is one of the neatest mid-sized towns in Japan. Food, really neat history, natural beauty, funky vibe, are all there. Hakodate is not a "mega-hangout" kind of town. Personally, if I had to pick between the two as a tourist, I'd take Hakodate over Sapporo any day.
But given what you're looking to do, I'd say Sapporo is a better bet for you. Although you'd be missing out. Otaru is only a partial substitute for Hakodate, although it's also pretty neat. Otaru has an excellent rail museum and an aquarium, if you're into that kind of stuff.
+1.
I like Hakodate much more than Sapporo but I am a "history, museum, architecture" kind of guy. I happily spent several days wandering around the unique, westernized historical port town, taking pictures and learning about the history. Your kids would be bored to death. For shopping, having fun and keeping kids happy, Sapporo is the better choice. Consequently, I didn't much enjoy my stay there.
