Soak Up Stunning Views Shaped by History and Nature: A Travel Guide to Hirosaki Park

At “Hirosaki Park,” one of Tohoku’s best cherry blossom spots, around 2,600 cherry trees are planted—mainly Somei Yoshino and weeping cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom with the castle as a backdrop, and the mass of blossoms bursting along the moat, are truly spectacular views.
The “Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival,” held from mid-April to early May when the blossoms are at their peak, draws around 2 million visitors each year.
During the festival, food stalls line the park, and you can enjoy festival favorites like yakisoba and okonomiyaki while viewing the blossoms.
It’s a large festival with attractions such as haunted houses, so you’ll likely enjoy not only the cherry blossoms but also Japanese festival culture.
After sunset, the cherry blossoms are illuminated, creating a magical scene as the blossoms and lights reflect on the moat’s surface.
If you can choose your travel timing freely, you should visit in spring.

As the fully bloomed cherry blossoms begin to fall, countless petals float on Hirosaki Park’s outer moat, creating a scene known as hanaikada (flower rafts).
Because the water’s surface is covered with petals, hanaikada is also called a cherry blossom carpet.
Being able to enjoy spectacular cherry-blossom scenery even after peak bloom is a unique charm of “Hirosaki Park.”
The hanaikada viewing period is usually around mid-April.

“Hirosaki Park” is famous as a cherry blossom spot, but it’s actually also a great place to see fall foliage.
Once October begins, around 1,000 maple trees and about 2,600 cherry trees in the park start to change color.
In early November, the best time to visit, layers of red and yellow leaves create vivid scenery everywhere you walk.
After sunset, the autumn leaves are softly illuminated, letting you soak up an atmosphere that feels distinctly Japanese.
During this season, the “Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Leaves Festival” is also held, where you can see flower art and a chrysanthemum exhibition by local residents.
If you’ve visited in spring before—or couldn’t make it in spring—be sure to enjoy the fall foliage.

In winter, “Hirosaki Park” hosts the “Winter Cherry Blossom Light-Up.”
Snow-covered branches and the frozen moat are lit up in pink, letting you enjoy a beauty that looks as if cherry blossoms are in bloom.
Last season, it was held from December 1 to February 28.
If you can’t travel in spring or fall, plan your visit during the “Winter Cherry Blossom Light-Up.”

As introduced so far, at “Hirosaki Park” you can see beautiful natural scenery throughout the seasons.
But that’s not its only appeal.
Within the park is one of only 12 castle keeps in Japan that still exist from the Edo period.
It is the only surviving keep in Tohoku and is designated as a nationally Important Cultural Property.
Don’t miss this keep, built with Tohoku-specific features—high cold resistance and a design that reduces stress on the building even when it snows.
If you view the keep together with cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, or snow, you’re sure to feel a uniquely Japanese charm.
For more about the appeal and history of “Hirosaki Castle,” please also refer to this article.

A castle site that stands on a plateau with a height difference of Approx. 90 m.
It is said to have been the main castle of the Sannohe Nanbu clan from the late Muromachi period to the early Edo period.
Even after Morioka became the main castle in the Edo period, a castle governor was appointed because it remained an important stronghold.
After it became an old castle with the abolition of the castle governor position in the Joko era (1684–88), the castle continued to be maintained throughout the Edo period, including the establishment of an official in charge of cleaning.
Key areas within the site preserve remains such as stone walls, earthen ramparts, and moats, giving a glimpse of what it once looked like.
Today, the site has been developed as Shiroyama Park and is a leading cherry blossom spot in southern Aomori Prefecture, with various cherry trees blooming in spring.

A relaxing public park known as a place where the Aomori-born author Osamu Dazai often spent time.
Spanning a vast Approx. 800,000㎡ centered around Lake Ashino, the park is lined with 1,500 cherry trees, and every spring it turns entirely into a palette of spring colors.
One of the largest spots on the Tsugaru Peninsula, it has also been selected as one of the “Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan.”
Every year, the “Kanagi Sakura Festival” is held from April 29 to May 7, drawing large crowds.

Located 20 minutes by bus from JR Aomori Station, Gappo Park faces Aomori Port and is a rare seaside park in an urban area even by national standards.
It was built through the personal funds of brothers Eisaku Mizuhara and Mijuro Kakizaki and was completed in 1894.
It was donated to Aomori City.
Across its expansive 17 ha grounds, around 670 cherry trees—mainly Somei Yoshino—bloom in spring, attracting many hanami visitors, especially local residents.
In summer, it becomes a lively beach destination with a long sandy shore, popular especially with families.