Hirosaki Castle

Why are you coming to Japan? You have probably heard a number of things that are “must sees” such as Castles, Temples, Cherry Blossoms. “When Japan” focuses on food as much as possible as the food experience in Japan is something unique however there are a number of “check boxes” for other activities that you should get through while in Japan.

Hirosaki has them all. Original (not rebuilt) castle ✔️, Beautiful Park ✔️, Cherry Blossoms in Spring ✔️ (one of the biggest collection in Japan). All great checks indeed, but when planning a trip to Japan distance is a factor. Do you really want to go all the way to Aomori to see things that can be done elsewhere? This has to be considered as a factor; Aomori has limited accessible tourist locations and is a significant journey north and away from the “must sees” around Tokyo and to the west of Japan.

You go to Aomori precisely because you can “get away” from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s more built up areas. However, you pay a price in convenience, English support and “getting a lot done in a day” due to travel. “When Japan” says go to Hirosaki in Winter and experience a quiet solitude that only the true Japanese countryside can give you. Take in the landscape, soak in a Hot Spring, relax in a Tatami floored traditional inn and feast on a work of art Kaiseki dinner. Repeat daily until all cares float off and you never want to leave.

Other than that, give it a miss as most of what is here you can get elsewhere in Japan, especially if this is your first time. The castle itself is actually an old storehouse for gold, which makes sense when you walk close and realize you could barely fit 20 people inside let along a garrison of soldiers. According to this site on Japanese Castles, at 14.4m high, Hirosaki Castle is 24th out of 29 in terms of size. The most famous castle in Japan, Himeji Castle, is 31.5m tall and you can go in it. Matsumoto Castle is always highly recommended. Hirosaki Castle cannot be entered.

Access to Hirosaki Castle

Usually “When Japan” puts links to Google Map transit routes from Tokyo, however there is very little chance you are traveling direct from Tokyo just to go to this castle. Most likely you will have taken a train to Shin-Aomori station and from there you can head to the castle. A word of caution: In Google Maps if selecting the castle specifically the route produced is a massive and pointless detour. Instead, use this route to Hirosaki Station and walk the rest of the way. The reason is that the closest station is actually “Central Hirosaki Station“, but when traveling from Shin Aomori Station the closest station is Hirosaki Station. When traveling from the south, you can use “Central Hirosaki Station“.

You can see from the map above (you may have to zoom in one level to see the train stations properly) centered on Hirosaki Station that there are a lot of local train lines to get confused over.

When to go (when does everyone else go?)

Hirosaki Castle and Park are famous for the 2,500 Sakura tress that blossom in late spring. Below is a graph of visitors during the year.

As you can see, during the Sakura season, crowds of Japanese descend upon Hirosaki to have their annual cherry blossom viewing parties. Here are plenty of photos of the experience. Compared to Tokyo, you will probably find a place to sit down for a picnic, and there is a service catering to foreigners only for ¥30,000 per person that will arrange everything for you.

In and around Hirosaki

There is a lot of information on the official Aomori homepage including a number of itineraries that include Hirosaki Castle.

There is also an official Hirosaki Tourism site that has a good English section outlining all the tourist spots and transport options.

There is also a free pass for ¥2,100 that allows for unlimited use of all public transport in and around Hirosaki. It is probably only worth it if you are staying at a local Hot Spring such as Lamp No Yado Aoni Onsen.