Hirosaki Castle

Hirosaki Castle is a flat mountain castle located 50 meters above sea level in the Tsugaru Plain.
During the Edo period (1603-1867), the castle was the seat of the Tsugaru clan of the Hirosaki domain, which held 47,000 koku of land, making it the political and economic center of the Tsugaru region.

The entire castle, including moats, stonewalls, and earthen mounds, remains in its original form as it was when the castle was abandoned in 1871, making it one of the 12 surviving castle towers.

It is one of the 100 best castles in Japan, one of the 100 most beautiful historical climates in Japan, one of the 100 most beautiful landscapes in Japan, and one of the 100 most scenic views in the Heisei Era.

Originally, the castle tower with five stories and six floors was built in 1611 as Takaoka Castle, but it was destroyed by fire in 1627 when lightning struck the castle tower.
After nearly 200 years without a castle tower, the name was changed to Hirosaki Castle, and in 1810, a three-story, three-tiered turret was built as a replacement for the existing castle tower.

At approximately 14.4 meters high, it is the lowest of the existing three-story towers. 
The exterior walls are white plaster with long-pitched beams above and below the windows and narrow spaces, and the roof tiles are copper tiles for the cold climate.

The interior is constructed of wood similar to that of the turrets, and all floors are simple with no thresholds and no tatami mats, so the structure was designed to be used as a warehouse.

The castle tower (three-story turret), the East Gate, South Gate, Tatsumi Tank, Mishin Yagura, and Ushitora Yagura in the Ni-no-Maru area, the Otemon and East Gate in the San-no-Maru area, and the North Gate (Turtle Gate) in the northern quarter have all been designated as National Important Cultural Properties.
The ruins of the castle are designated as a national historic site.

After Hirosaki Castle was abandoned, the ruins of the castle were opened as a park in 1895. Cherry trees have been planted in the park since 1903, and today there are approximately 2,600 cherry trees planted, making Hirosaki Park a famous flower spot.

Because of its location in the northern Tohoku region, the cherry blossom season is relatively late, and the best time to view the blossoms generally coincides with Golden Week, attracting visitors from all over Japan for the Hirosaki Sakura Festival.

Hirosaki Park has been selected as one of the 100 best city parks in Japan, one of the 100 best historical parks in Japan, and one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan.