Hirosaki Castle (弘前城; Hirosaki-jō), (The nearest bus stop is ''Shiyakusho-mae'', 15 min from Hirosaki Station.). Apr 1-Nov 239AM-5PM. Hirosaki Castle was completed in 1611 and housed several generations of the Tsugaru Clan. The large 49.2-hectare grounds include three concentric moats and earthen fortifications that surround the remains of the inner castle area: five castle gates, three corner keeps and a castle tower. After the original five-storied tower was struck by lightning and burned down, the current three-storied Tenshukaku tower was built to replace it. The castle grounds are now a public park famous nationwide for its cherry blossoms. The castle tower houses a museum featuring samurai-era swords, suits of armor, helmets and other items related to the castle's history.Adults ¥300; children ¥100 (including admission to Tenshukaku Castle Tower Museum). �
Neputa Village (ねぷた村; Neputa-mura). <Located at the park's northerneastern corner, this is where the festival's floats and memorabilia are held outside the Neputa festival season (see Do). The Village showcases a particularly large 8x10m specimen, and sheepishly notes that it's now too big to fit under the electric wires that crisscross Japanese streets. There are also several workshops preparing traditional Hirosaki handicrafts, which can be purchased by visitors.¥500. �
Otemon Square. On the other side of the park, this complex contains Hirosaki's tourist information center and showcases more beautiful Neputa stuff including Japan's largest drum, diameter 4.5m wide and big enough for 50 people to bang on at once.Free. �
Five-story pagoda, Saishōin
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hirosaki
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Hirosaki - updated May 2024
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Hirosaki Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
