Spring in Tsugaru: Hirosaki

A historic Tsugaru (Jumangoku) castle town featuring sakura cherry blossoms decorating the local castle: Jokamachi, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture

Cherry blossoms peak in Aomori around the end of April.The Hirosaki cherry blossom festival held at Hirosaki Park is known one of Japan's "best 100 cherry blossom viewing opportunities". With some 3,000 cherry blossoms of approximately 50 different varieties and an unsurpassed combination of people and nature, the place has also been named one of Japan's "best 100 scenic views."

Otemon Plaza features the old Renaissance-style Library and the old Toogijuku teacher's building. There is also the Aomori Bank Museum to the east, as well as many Christian churches as Hirosaki was once an area heavily populated by Christian missionaries.

The area north of the castle, lined with old samurai houses as well as merchants' homes dating back to the Edo Era, has been designated an important historic building district.

The area to the southwest of the castle is a quiet zenringai "Zen forest" of numerous Zen temples. The furthest point features a mixture of eastern and western historical buildings including the three temples of the Chosho-ji complex--an important culture treasure and family temple of the Tsugaru domain lord.

Hirosaki is a town full of attractions, including flamboyant neputa summer night floats, apple fields in its outer environs in the fall, and more.

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