The Former Soma Residence is located in Motomachi next to Motomachi Park and upper site next to the Former British Consulate. Teppei Soma (相馬哲平), the founder of the residence, who was from Echigo in the end of Edo era, now Niigata prefecture came to Hakodate in 1861. He was 28 years old. At that time, Hakodate was just in Hakodate War, where Takeaki Enomono and Toshizo Hijikata were fighting the Meiji government troops. He saw people running away from the war and thought rice price higher than ever before after the end of war. He bet it and won it. He piled up vast money. After that, he invested fishing of herring, which brought more money and he became to be a man of the greatest wealth in Hokkaido. He dedicated to build some public facilities by his own money such as Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward, Hakodate library and so on. He is one of the most famous person of Hakodate. The former Soma Residence was built from 1908 to 1911. The residence is dominating British Consulate. It is the rare case for foreign consulates is located in lower-site than one of citizen’s house in Japan.
Access
- Tram: Take an tram to Suehiro-cho-dentei(末広町電停) via Hakodate Doc mae (函館ドック前行) and 5min walk.
- Bus: Take a No.1 bus to Kokaido-mae (公会堂前) via Koryu-ji-mae (高竜寺前行) and 3min walk.
Admission Fee
- Adult: ¥800
- Student: ¥300
Open
- 9:30 – 18:00
Contact
- TEL: 0138-26-1560
- FAX: 0138-26-1646
- E-mail: info@soumatei.com
Facilities
- cafe
- rental rooms for tea ceremony and other events
- Paintings, documents and antiques
Neighborhood
- Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward
- Old Branch Office of Hokkaido Government
- Motomachi Roman Catholic Church
- Hakodate Orthodox Church
- Hakodate Episcopal Church of Japan
- Foreigners’ Cemetery
- Old Russian Consulate
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- Hakodate Episcopal Church of Japan (函館聖ヨハネ教会)
- The Former British Consulate(旧英国領事館)
- Foreigners’ Cemetery in Hakodate (外人墓地)
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