Benten Daiba

Benten Daiba was a coastal battery constructed in the late Edo period in what is now Benten-chō, Hakodate City, Hokkaido, as one of a group of coastal fortifications built to defend the northern territories of Ezo (modern Hokkaido) against the increasing presence of foreign ships. Initially a small-scale Japanese-style battery, in Bakumatsu, it was rebuilt as part of coastal defense enhancements following the opening of Hakodate Port to counter foreign vessels entering the port. Subsequently, it became a central component of Hakodate Bay's defenses and, during the Hakodate War (Last phase of Boshin War at Oshima peninsula), served as a key defensive facility for the former-shogunate forces, engaging in fierce battles with the new government's naval fleet (see below). It is also known as Benten Misaki Daiba, Benten Zaki Daiba. The reconstruction was designed by Takeda Ayasaburō.

Fort data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).