The Kanemori warehouses were built for trade when Hakodate was Japan's first major port to open to the West. They are red brick, substantial, now given over to shops and restaurants and, in the warmer months, outdoor markets. The bay is right there. The squid fishing boats come in early. Hokkaido squid, konbu seaweed harvested from the cold strait between Hokkaido and Honshu, cheese from nearby farms, the particular dairy products that the northern climate produces. The market is not large, but the quality of what it contains reflects where it comes from — a fishing port at the edge of the country, where the cold water produces exceptional things. Hakodate is famous for its night view from the mountain above the city, and this is deserved. But the morning harbor, when the fishing boats are in and the market is running and the red brick buildings are catching the northern light, is the version of Hakodate that stays with you. It is a city that has always looked outward, toward the sea.