Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, known as one of Japan’s three major cherry blossom spots. It is in full bloom around the end of April, and is crowded with many tourists until the end of the long holiday in Japan until the beginning of May. The highlight is the competition between cherry blossoms in full bloom and Hirosaki Castle. And it is a superb view of Japan’s oldest Yoshino cherry tree, floral raft and cherry blossoms reflected in a water mirror. Why do not you enjoy the cherry blossoms in Hirosaki, which is said to be the most beautiful in Japan?
Hirosaki Park is a 30-minute walk from JR Hirosaki Station. There are about 2,600 cherry trees on the vast site. Every year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is held and is crowded with over 2 million people.
In addition to cherry blossoms, you can’t miss the historical value of Hirosaki Castle. Hirosaki Park was originally the castle area of Hirosaki Castle in the Tsugaru Domain, and was opened to the public as a park in the Meiji period. The castle tower, five castle gates and three yagura, built in the Edo period, remain as they were at that time, and are designated as national important cultural properties.
Even in the outer moat, in the western moat, you can see cherry blossom tunnels with cherry blossoms over your head. The distance is about 300 meters. During the cherry blossom festival, boats can be rented (1,000 yen including tax, 60 minutes), and you can see the cherry blossom tunnel from the pond for western moat.
There are two someiyoshinos that are said to be the best in Japan in Hirosaki Park. One of them, Someiyoshino, located near the gate of Ninomaru, is said to be the oldest in Japan, and is over 130 years old. The other is someiyoshino of “Japan’s largest trunk”. It is behind the “Green Consultation Center” near the Central High School Exit on the east side of the park.
Even in Hirosaki Park at night, there is a superb view that everyone knows. The cherry blossoms reflected on the surface of the moat at night. The sight of cherry blossoms illuminated by light reflected on a mirror-like surface of water is a beauty that cannot be seen elsewhere. In particular, the cherry blossoms reflected on the surface of the water from the Shunyo-bashi Bridge in the western moat are a masterpiece.
Furthermore, the greatest feature of Hirosaki Park is that you can enjoy it even after the cherry blossoms are scattered. You can see cherry blossom petals scattered on the surface of the moat, a cherry carpet called “Ikada”, and a superb view called pink soup.
You can enjoy “flower buds” when they begin to bloom, in full bloom, and even after they are scattered. Because the time of blooming in the park varies depending on the location and the variety of cherry blossoms, there is always a full bloom area during the Sakura Festival. Why don’t you go to Hirosaki Park, the northernmost cherry blossom spot in the main island of Japan?
Over 2 million people visit this period every year
Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, which is known as one of the three major cherry blossom viewing spot in Japan. The cherry blossoms here are in full bloom around the end of April, and many tourists visit “Golden Week” (early-May holiday season in Japan). The highlight is “Cherry Tunnel”, “flower petals fallen on water”, “Hirosaki Castle”. There are 2,600 cherry blossom trees on the site of about 492 thousand hectares. Here, “Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri” (The Cherry Blossom Festival in Hirosaki) will be held every cherry blossoms in full bloom. It is held during the holidays from April 23 to May 5 every year. Over 2 million people visit this period every year.
Taking a cherry-blossom viewing event while enjoying a meal with local people, and tours by local volunteer guides are held, so you can enjoy cherry blossoms all day. In 2017, the cherry blossom festival celebrated its 100th anniversary and is showing more and more bustling. Why don’t you enjoy the cherry blossoms in Hirosaki, which is said to be the most beautiful in Japan.
Hirosaki-koen (Hirosaki Park) where the name is known as a famous tourism spot of its cherry tree. There are more than 300 Someiyoshino trees in Hirosaki-koen Park, and almost all of them are over 100 year-old. Each of them magnificently bloom, and is praised as the best in Japan.
It is about the end of April that cherry‐blossom front comes over to Hirosaki. The contrast of gorgeous cherry tree and old pine-tree is wonderful, it blooms beautifully and competes in Hirosaki Park.
The people are intoxicated with a flower under the cherry tree and get drunk on liquor and enjoy spring of Tsugaru.
In night, the lighted up figures of cherry tree reflecting on the surface of the water of the moat around the castle are producing fantastic atmosphere, and its beauty attracts coming people.
The cherry tree of Hirosaki Park attracts people until the moment a flower is about to drop. Petals flow through the surface of the water of the moat (“Hana-Ikada”), the Hana no Jutan (“The carpet of the cherry tree”) as filling up the moat with a petal becomes the topic.
The Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri is one of the Hirosaki’s four biggest festivals (Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival, Hirosaki Nebuta Festival, Chrysanthemum and Colored Leaves Festival of Hirosaki-jo Castle, Snow Lantern Festival of Hirosaki-jo Castle). Since a holding period of the festival overlaps with “Golden Week” (early-May holiday season in Japan), it is the popular festival that 2 million people visit every year.
The Hirosaki park used as the festival site is a place famous for its cherry blossoms which is selected as one of “the Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites”, and “100 selections of the fabric of landscape relationships between people and nature in Japan.” There is the cherry tree of approximately 50 kinds of 2,600, including the Yoshino cherry trees and the weeping cherry trees, is worth seeing.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
| Name: | Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri (The Cherry Blossom Festival in Hirosaki) |
| Adresse: | Shimoshiroganecho 1-1 Hirosaki-city, Aomori 036-8356 Japan |
| Access: | JR Ouhonsen line "Hirosaki-eki Station” (20 minutes walk) |
| Tel: | (+81) 172-35-3131 (Hirosaki City Tourism Association) |
| Price/Charge: | 320 yen (Adult) 100 yen (Junior High School Students or Under) Please refer the official web page. |
| Official site: | http://www.hirosakipark.jp/ |
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