Cape Tatemachi is a cliff-top cape jutting out from the southeast of Mount Hakodate in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Its greatest attraction is the magnificent panoramic view that stretches across the Tsugaru Strait to the Shimokita Peninsula. On a clear day, the blue sea and sky stretch out endlessly, and the view of the cliffs with the waves crashing on the shore is a spectacular sight. There are various theories about the name of the cape, including one that says it comes from an anecdote that women used to wait for prostitutes here in the past.

This cape not only has beautiful scenery, but also has a historical background. The gravestone of Ishikawa Setsuko, the wife of Ishikawa Takuboku, a female poet who is said to have loved Russian literature and came to Hakodate, is here at Cape Tatemachi. It is also close to the final resting place of Hijikata Toshizo, vice-commander of the Shinsengumi who was active during the late Edo period, and is a place to remember the tragic history of the Hakodate War. The cliffs where rough waves crash and the resting place of many historical figures create a dramatic atmosphere.

Tatematsu Cape is also home to the remains of the Tatematsu Fort (remains of a gun battery), part of the former Hakodate Fortress. It is part of a group of fortresses built to defend the Tsugaru Straits from 1898 (Meiji 31), and is now maintained as an observation point where you can get a close-up look at the remains of the stone walls and gun emplacements.