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Hirosaki Park in Cherry Blossom Season

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Hirosaki Park in Cherry Blossom Season

2,600 sakura trees in full bloom surrounding an Aomori Prefecture castle in springtime

Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture

Hirosaki Park is known as one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan. From mid-April to early May, the park is filled with more than 50 varieties of cherry blossoms, with some 2,600 trees in full bloom.

Hirosaki Castle, located in the park, is the only existing castle tower in Tohoku from the Edo period (1603-1868), and the cherry blossoms in full bloom enhance its beauty. All the cherry trees in the park are numbered and carefully managed one by one by the park gardeners, so even the oldest trees, dating back a century or more, have voluminous and magnificent flowers. The trees originate from 1715, when the Tsugaru clan requisitioned 25 kasumizakura cherry trees from Kyoto and planted them on the castle grounds.

The park offers numerous spots for stunning cherry blossom photos. The castle itself provides a majestic canvas for the many shades of pink, but there is also a cherry blossom tunnel; “hana ikada,” or “flower rafts,” which refer to the large number of cherry blossom petals that cluster together and float along the surface of the castle’s moat; the cherry blossoms at night reflected on the water surface; and even a place where the cherry blossoms look like a heart shape. Just walking slowly through the park while taking pictures will be a special memory.

The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is held annually between late April and early May. Refer to the Hirosaki Tourism’s website below to find out the dates for the next festival.

How to get there

From Haneda Airport, take a flight to Aomori Airport (about 1 hour and 20 minutes), then a limousine bus to JR Hirosaki Station (about 55 minutes). Hirosaki Park is about 15 minutes by bus from JR Hirosaki Station.

1 Shimoshirogane-cho, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori-ken