Hirosaki Castle, located in Aomori Prefecture, was first built in 1611 by the powerful Tsugaru Clan. The original castle, had five stories, was struck by lightning in 1627 and subsequently burned down.
When the castle was rebuilt in 1810, laws prohibited the castle to be restored to the original five stories, and as such was rebuilt with three stories, of which stand to this day. Hirosaki castle is the only castle in the Tohoku region of Japan that was constructed in Edo period (1603-1868) and has survived through until modern times.
Hirosaki Castle, although surrendered to the Meiji government in 1871 as part of the Meiji restoration, was never torn down completely as many other castles were in this era. Because of this, Hirosaki Castle now stands as a symbol for the city of Hirosaki, and has made an appearance in pop culture, featured in the anime Flying Witch.
The Castle grounds are remarkable during the spring time, and is often regarded as one of the top cherry blossom viewing areas in the country, as during this time about two and a half thousand trees begin to bloom, and the castle moat quickly floods with cherry petals.
Currently, the original castle foundations are currently being worked on, and as such, the castle was picked up and rolled to a new resting place located more centrally in the Hirosaki Castle Park. Because of the renovations, you will not have the same views as you see in most pictures of the castle. That aside, you can still enter the castle keep and enjoy the park from the third floor of the tower, which does offer amazing views – especially in spring, where you can get a good look at the cherry blossoms scattered around the park.
Hours and Admission
- Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm
- 320JPY (Botanical Garden only), 520JPY (Botanical Garden, castle, and Fujita Memorial Garden)
- Average Time Spent: 1 Hour
- Official Website
- Closed: November 24th - March 31st
Accessing Hirosaki Castle
As most of the cities popular tourist attractions are located near each other, there is a bus service that is primarily for sightseeing around the city.
The Dotemachi Loop Bus can depart from Hirosaki station, and goes around in a short loop around the tourist spots, stopping at Hirosaki Park – of which Hirosaki Castle is located within. A Jounrey on the Dotemachi Loop Bus will only cost 100JPY, and is a great service to use for getting around Hirosaki.
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