Motomachi's church district features three adjacent churches—Russian Orthodox, Catholic Motomachi, and Hakodate St. John's—each in distinct styles. The picturesque sloped streets embody Hakodate's history as a Bakumatsu-era international port. Hachiman-zaka and Motoi-zaka capture the city's hillside charm.

The Motomachi church district in Hakodate took shape following the opening of Hakodate port under the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854. When the port was formally opened to international trade in 1859, foreign settlements were established across the Motomachi area, and missionaries of various Christia…