What other travelers are saying about Trappistine Monastery
Visit 25 desember 2023
The French style is very elegant and a must visit, there is also a small shop of works by the sisters. there are parts that should not be entered because after all this building is still functioning. Behind the wall there is a farm, a residence where women who serve their God choose to live forever without leaving the fence... I think it evokes a mysterious feeling every time I look at the beautiful building and walls.
Admission is free. Visitors can only tour the garden and admire the architecture. No entry to any buildings at all. There is a paid parking area but it is quite a walk away.
Places you can visit are very limited, and even there is nothing much to see. I've never seen any friendly nun. They sell some goods, such as cookies, but I was never interested in. My family's home is right under the hill of this place. Today, I realized they ring the bell from 3:50 a.m.! Since I have been suffered from a mild version of insomnia, the noise of the bell is terrible. It might work when it was an agricultural society, but why does it have to ring a bell from this early morning? I admire their patience, those who have lived near this place for their life; however, to me, the noise is just a representation of a nosy neighbor...
Certainly did not expect to find a Trappist Monastery in Hakodate. It was founded in 1898 by a group of French nuns from the Abbey of Notre-Dame de la Trappe in Soligny-la-Trappe, France. The monastery is situated on a hill overlooking the city of Hakodate and the Uchiura Bay. As you would expect is very quiet peaceful and pretty much self sufficient. We decided not to join.
The lovely architecture of the convent is offset by the beautiful scenery and the proximity to the ocean and the cliffs in the distance. This is a lovely setting for a walk and some cookie shopping at its source. The gift shop also has some lovely illustration of Christian bible verses in Japanese and some interesting exhibits in the mini museum of Trappist history next to the information and gifts section. This is a lovely little stop that allows you to take in the serene environment of the convent and the nearby park grounds which seem to flow seamlessly one into the other.
