Hirosaki Castle

Hirosaki has one of the twelve surviving original castle keeps in Japan - not a concrete reconstruction - a modest three-storey tower rebuilt in 1811 after the original burned. Since 2015 it has not been in its usual place: the stone wall beneath it was bulging and needed rebuilding, so the keep was jacked up and moved about seventy metres inland on rails, where it still stands while the wall is reconstructed stone by stone. The move is itself worth seeing and the work is explained on site; the keep is due to return, and the schedule has shifted more than once. The grounds hold about 2,600 cherry trees, planted from 1715 and heavily added to from 1903, and Hirosaki's blossom is generally ranked the best in the country - partly for the numbers, partly because the fallen petals cover the moats completely in a pink raft.

History

Ōura Tamenobu, a former Nambu retainer, took the name Tsugaru after Toyotomi Hideyoshi rewarded him in 1590, and he began the castle at Hirosaki in 1603; work stopped at his death in 1604 and was taken up again in 1609 by his successor, Tsugaru Nobuhira, who stripped two older castles of buildings and materials to finish it. The grounds measure 612 by 947 metres, in six concentric baileys (Wikipedia, Hirosaki Castle).

What to look for

• An original keep - one of twelve surviving in Japan, rebuilt in 1811.
• A moved building - jacked up and rolled seventy metres in 2015 for wall repairs.
• 2,600 cherry trees - planted from 1715 and expanded from 1903.
• The petal raft - fallen blossom covering the moats completely.

When to go

Late April to early May for blossom. Half a day.

Practical notes

The keep is off its wall and will be until the reconstruction finishes - dates have slipped. It is small compared with Himeji or Matsumoto. Blossom week brings very heavy crowds and full accommodation. Aomori spring weather is cold and unsettled.

Nearby

Hirosaki's Meiji-era Western buildings are in the town; Hakkoda is east.

Key facts