Ahead of the 57th Hakodate Goryokaku Festival, which will be held on May 16 (Sat) and 17 (Sun), an annual memorial service is conducted to honor those who lost their lives in the Hakodate War, the final battle of the Boshin War.

This memorial service is held each year around May 11, the date of the New Government Army’s full-scale assault in 1869, during which many people lost their lives. The day is also associated with the death anniversary of Hijikata Toshizō. The ceremony is held to pray for and commemorate all those who perished in the Hakodate War.