Ultimate Guide to Hirosaki

Head over to the museum where you can experience the Tsugaru summer festival which has been chosen as one of the Top 100 Soundscapes of Japan, the Neputa Matsuri, all year round. Along with the experience of the festival, you can also view the performances of traditional handicrafts. From here, the walk over to Hirosaki Castle takes 10 minutes.

Visit the remains of the castle of the Tsugaru clan which brought together the entire area. Take a walk through the large area that is now a park and view the remains.

Walk over to Fujita Memorial Garden which is next to Hirosaki Castle. You can tour the traditional Japanese garden as well as the Western building from an old age. Part of the Western building has become a café where you can taste cakes and cuisine using local vegetables. Recommended for a rest and lunch.

Stroll through Zenringai whose area is lined with numerous Zen temples. Passing through Kuromon Gate which serves as the entrance to Zenringai, walk past the temples that are on your left and right to reach Chojo-ji Temple.

Chojo-ji Temple is the center of Zenringai. Walk through its wide spaces and tour the dignified temple buildings that were built in the early Edo Era. Afterwards, visit the Former Hirosaki City Library. Returning to the entrance of Zenringai, board the Tamenobu bus again from the Shigemori-machi stop (bound for Hirosaki Station) and get off at the stop Shiyakusho-mae (City Hall). On foot, the trip will take up to 30 minutes. ＊The 100-yen loop bus operates only between April and November.

Tour the Former Hirosaki City Library, preserved as a precious example of Western-style architecture. In the plaza, you can view miniature versions of Western-style buildings which survived in Hirosaki that have been built at 1/10th their original size. To reach Hirosaki Station, board the Tamenobu heading for Hirosaki Station from the Shiyakusho-mae stop and get off at the station.