Cool Former Hokkaido Travel World

The Former Hokkaidō Government Office Building is an American-neo-baroque structure constructed in 1888 as a base of the Hokkaidō administration. The nickname is Akarenga or "Red Brick." It is the symbol of Hokkaidō and was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property in 1969. Currently, the facilities inside the building include a conference room, a museum shop, a tourist information office, and a few historical exhibition rooms and libraries. Visitors can enter the building for free. Flower gardens and a pond are located in front of the building, which occasionally are designated as some event venues.

Though the interior was destroyed once by fire, it was restored in 1968 to its original state, and in 1969 was designated as an important cultural property for its superior western architecture. The building contains the Archives of Hokkaido and the Gallery of Hokkaido's History of the Historical Museum of Hokkaido, providing visitors an introduction to the history and culture of Hokkaido.