- Company Motto
Sincerity
- Management Philosophy
- Goryokaku Tower Corporation strives to offer impressive experiences, a sense of intellectual fulfillment, comfort, and trust to our visitors as a tourist facility that introduces the history and culture of the national historic site, Goryokaku. Our basic principle is that the employees work as one to always provide sincere service to make economic and cultural contributions to the local community.
| Name | Goryokaku Tower Corporation |
|---|---|
| The date of establishment | December 1, 1964 |
| Capital | 110 million yen |
| Representative | Hisashi Nakano, President & CEO |
| Address | 43-9 Goryokaku-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0001 |
| Telephone/Fax | Tel: 0138-51-4785 / Fax: 0138-32-6390 |
| Height | 107 m (including the height of lightning rod) 98 m (total height) |
| Height of the observation deck | 1F Observation Deck: 86 m 2F Observation Deck: 90 m |
| Area | Site area: 2,938 sq. m Total floor area: 5,783 sq. m |
| Area of the observation deck | 1F Observation Deck: 314 sq. m 2F Observation Deck: 464 sq. m |
| Structure | Reinforced concrete structure |
| Lighting design | Tomita Lighting Design Office Inc. |
| Display, furniture and fixtures | Shimizu Corporation/Tanseisha Co., Ltd. |
| Design and construction | Shimizu Corporation |
Corporate History
| 1964 | Shinsuke Nakano establishes Hokkaido Daiwakanko K.K. Goryokaku Tower opens (groundbreaking in April) in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Goryokaku on December 1. |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Increases the capital from 20 million yen to 40 million yen. |
| 1966 | Changes the company name to Goryokaku Tower Corporation. Municipal regular tour bus begins operation. |
| 1968 | The Seikan Tunnel section is added to the second level. Closes for ten days after the 1968 Tokachi earthquake (May 16.) |
| 1971 | Opens a cafeteria and gift shop at the Hokkaido Pioneer Memorial Hall. |
| 1973 | NHK’s morning serial drama, Kita no Kazoku, goes on air. |
| 1977 | Acquires the adjoining land on the south of the tower to build a parking lot. |
| 1978 | Paints the entire exterior of the tower, expands an office, and renovates the gift shop on the first level, cafeteria, and cafe. |
| 1979 | Records 4 million visitors since its opening. Holds the 15th anniversary event (a celebration party held), Cantata Hakodate Genso. |
| 1980 | Ryountei begins operation. Builds the front parking, cafeteria on the second level, and renovates and expands the cafe on the third level. |
| 1983 | Replacement of the elevator hoist. |
| 1984 | Renovates Ryountei. Holds the 20th anniversary events (Appreciation event and celebration party) |
| 1986 | Shinsuke Nakano receives the Hokkaido Industry Contribution Award by Hokkaido. |
| 1987 | Expands and renovates the first level. Shinsuke Nakano is commended for his distinguished merits by Hakodate City. |
| 1988 | Records 8 million visitors since its opening. Participates in the Seikan Tunnel Inauguration Expo. |
| 1989 | Records 9 million visitors since its opening. The 25th anniversary events (Appreciation event, free admission to the observation deck, and celebration party) are held. The Crown Prince pays a visit. Donates a sightseeing patrol car to Hakodate City. |
| 1990 | Records 10 million visitors since its opening. The 10th anniversary event of Ryountei (movie screening.) |
| 1993 | Princess Hitachinomiya pays a visit. Acquires land for bus parking. Closes for seven days due to the 1993 Hokkaido Earthquake (July 12.) |
| 1994 | Shinsuke Nakano passes away. Yutaka Nakano assumes the position of President and CEO. The Star-Shaped Cultural Exhibition Hall Opens. |
| 1995 | Receives the Hokkaido Region Cultural Award Special Award for Corporate Citizen Cultural Award. Expands the tower. Increases the capital from 40 million yen to 110 million yen. |
| 1996 | Records 15 million visitors since its opening. Renovates the hall on the second level of the tower. Acquires the Matsuoka residence site for parking. |
| 1997 | Renovates the tower entrance hall and the exhibition hall. The World Bastion Fort Summit is held in Hakodate. |
| 1998 | Prince Norinomiya pays a visit. Paints the exterior tower. |
| 1999 | The 35th anniversary project, the memorial speech by Hiroyuki Itsuki, is held. |
| 2000 | Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church pays a visit. |
| 2002 | Records 20 million visitors since its opening. Closes the cafeteria division. |
| 2003 | Yutaka Nakano receives the Hokkaido Industry Contribution Award by Hokkaido. Builds the statue of Toshizo Hijikata. Sets up the bust of Toshizo Hijikata at the observation deck. |
| 2004 | Receives the Tourism Business Merit Award by the Hakodate International Tourism and Convention Association. Implements the 40th anniversary project. Demolishes Ryountei. Starts the first-phase construction of the new Goryokaku Tower. |
| 2005 | Sets up the seated statue of Toshizo Hijikata at the observation deck. |
| 2006 | April 1: New tower opens (Soft opening), December 1: Grand opening of the Goryokaku Tower. The official mascot, Gota-kun, is born. |
| 2007 | Since the opening of the new tower, it records one million paid visitors to the observation deck in a year. Yutaka Nakano receives the tourism industry merit award by the Hakodate International Tourism and Convention Association. Receives the 13th Hakodate City View Award by Hakodate City. Holds the first anniversary event of the grand opening. Barrel organ completes and is presented to the public. |
| 2008 | Begins operation from 6 a.m. on the New Year’s Day from this year. Records 25 million paid visitors to the observation deck since its opening in 1964. |
| 2009 | The 45th anniversary event. |
| 2010 | Yutaka Nakano is commended for his distinguished merits by Hakodate City. |
| 2011 | The scenery of Goryokaku receives two stars by Michelin Green Guide. Hours during summer is shortened to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Great East Japan Earthquake) |
| 2012 | Implements energy conservation of tower illumination from this year. (Summer: July to September, Winter: December to March) |
| 2013 | Begins the construction of Goryokaku Sakura Interexchange House. |
| 2014 | Goryokaku Sakura Interexchange House begins operation. Yutaka Nakano becomes the chairman, Hisashi Nakano becomes the president & CEO, and Susumu Nakano becomes the executive director. The 50th anniversary event. The 50th anniversary concert by orchestra, Cantata Hakodate Genso, is hosted. The 50th anniversary (December 1) |
| 2015 | Records 30 million paid visitors to the observation deck since its opening in 1964. (August 13) |
| 2016 | Hokkaido Shinkansen (Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto) inaugurates (March 26.) Cooperates in the illumination for the World Autism Awareness Day (April 2.) Sets up an explainer machine for topographical models (April 25.) Cherry blossoms at the Goryokaku Park ranks number one in the rankings of superb views of spring in Japan that you want to visit this spring by H.I.S. (April.) Cooperates in the illumination of the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (May 8.) Sets up streamers of the Sendai Tanabata Festival at the atrium (June.) Gota-kun is appointed a traffic safety ambassador (September 22.) Cooperates in the illumination for the Pink Ribbon Campaign (October 1.) President Nakano assumes the position of the vice president of the Hakodate Chamber of Commerce (November 1.) In this year, Goryokaku Tower records one million visitors for the first time in ten years since 2006. |
| 2017 | Cooperates in the illumination for the World Autism Awareness Day (April 2.) Goryokaku Sakura Bear is born (April.) Cooperates in the illumination of the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day (May 8.) Goryokaku Tower Bear is born (June.) Gota-kun is appointed for a traffic safety ambassador (September 30.) Cooperates in the illumination for the World Glaucoma Week (March 12 and 13.) |
