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Matthew Haswell | profile | all galleries >> Japan 日本 >> Tōhoku 東北 >> Hirosaki 弘前 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Aomori 青森 | Hirosaki 弘前 | Osore-zan 恐山 | Hachinohe 八戸 | Akita 秋田 | Kakunodate 角館 | Morioka 盛岡 | Hiraizumi 平泉 | Yamagata and Yama-dera 山形と山寺 | Tsuruoka 鶴岡 | Sendai 仙台 | Matsushima 松島 | Shiroishi, Nihonmatsu & Shirakawa 白石、二本松、白河 | Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata 会津若松と喜多方

Hirosaki 弘前

Known across Japan for its apples, Hirosaki was historically an important castle town in northern Tōhoku. The city brings in the masses each April for its famous Sakura Matsuri, when the some 5000 cherry blossoms of Hirosaki-kōen are in bloom. Having escaped World War II unscathed (unlike the prefectural capital of Aomori), Hirosaki also preserves numerous picturesque Edo, Meiji and Taisho-era structures and offers an equally popular festival counterpart to Aomori's Nebuta: the Neputa Matsuri.
Replica of Hirosaki Castle in the station
Replica of Hirosaki Castle in the station		 Sample Neputa float in JR Hirosaki Station
Sample Neputa float in JR Hirosaki Station		 Station banner advertising the Sakura Matsuri
Station banner advertising the Sakura Matsuri		 Out front JR Hirosaki Station
Out front JR Hirosaki Station
Blossom filled moat with Higashi-mon
Blossom filled moat with Higashi-mon		 Yamazakura blossoms
Yamazakura blossoms		 Hirosaki Castle's Higashi-mon (East Gate)
Hirosaki Castle's Higashi-mon (East Gate)		 Blossoms in Hirosaki-kōen's Botanical Gardens
Blossoms in Hirosaki-kōen's Botanical Gardens
Yaezakura detail
Yaezakura detail		 Tulip garden in full bloom
Tulip garden in full bloom		 Hanami lanterns with cherry blossom tree
Hanami lanterns with cherry blossom tree		 Hanami party near a Shidarezakura
Hanami party near a Shidarezakura
Higashi-uchimon (East Inner Gate)
Higashi-uchimon (East Inner Gate)		 Tour group posing in front of the donjon
Tour group posing in front of the donjon		 Hirosaki-jō's donjon from the Gejō-bashi
Hirosaki-jō's donjon from the Gejō-bashi		 View over the Honmaru
View over the Honmaru
Scale model of the former Honmaru (minus roofs)
Scale model of the former Honmaru (minus roofs)		 Group hanami under a pair of Shidarezakura
Group hanami under a pair of Shidarezakura		 Hirosaki-jō donjon from the Honmaru
Hirosaki-jō donjon from the Honmaru		 Looking down the roof tiles to the Gejō-bashi
Looking down the roof tiles to the Gejō-bashi
Copper window shutters on the donjon
Copper window shutters on the donjon		 Tenshu-kaku stone foundation detail
Tenshu-kaku stone foundation detail		 Queuing to enter the donjon
Queuing to enter the donjon		 Hirosaki-jō donjon detail
Hirosaki-jō donjon detail
Ushitora-yagura
Ushitora-yagura		 Taking a souvenir pic of Hirosaki-jō
Taking a souvenir pic of Hirosaki-jō		 Weeping sakura and Kata-bashi
Weeping sakura and Kata-bashi		 Hitsujisaru-yagura
Hitsujisaru-yagura
Centered view of the tenshu-kaku
Centered view of the tenshu-kaku		 Donjon flank detail
Donjon flank detail		 Tatsumi-yagura
Tatsumi-yagura		 Tourists crossing the Sugi-no-daibashi
Tourists crossing the Sugi-no-daibashi
Festival yatai in the Nishinomaru
Festival yatai in the Nishinomaru		 Minami-uchimon
Minami-uchimon		 Boating on the Nishi-gō
Boating on the Nishi-gō		 Crowds along the festival yatai
Crowds along the festival yatai
Gokoku-jinja
Gokoku-jinja		 Yatai under the sakura
Yatai under the sakura		 Kita-mon (North Gate)
Kita-mon (North Gate)		 Historic Ishiba shop and residence
Historic Ishiba shop and residence
Garden path to Umeda residence
Garden path to Umeda residence		 Umeda residence entrance
Umeda residence entrance		 Irori and teapot in the Umeda residence
Irori and teapot in the Umeda residence		 Stone path to Iwata residence
Stone path to Iwata residence
Hanging scroll in the Iwata residence
Hanging scroll in the Iwata residence		 Neputa float in the Neputa Mura museum
Neputa float in the Neputa Mura museum		 Three of the Tsugaru jamisen performers
Three of the Tsugaru jamisen performers		 Neputa float detail
Neputa float detail
Display of mini Neputa lanterns
Display of mini Neputa lanterns		 Cow and horse lanterns on the display
Cow and horse lanterns on the display		 Pair of kingyo-neputa
Pair of kingyo-neputa		 Large fan-shaped Neputa float
Large fan-shaped Neputa float
Serene image on the back of a Neputa float
Serene image on the back of a Neputa float		 Japanese garden within the museum grounds
Japanese garden within the museum grounds		 Sculpted landscape in the garden
Sculpted landscape in the garden		 Lunch set of curry and rice with scallops & apple
Lunch set of curry and rice with scallops & apple
Daimyō Tamenobu statue outside the Culture Center
Daimyō Tamenobu statue outside the Culture Center		 Hirosaki Catholic Church
Hirosaki Catholic Church		 Interior of the Catholic church
Interior of the Catholic church		 Hirosaki United Church of Christ
Hirosaki United Church of Christ
Aomori Bank Memorial Hall
Aomori Bank Memorial Hall		 Meiji-era Former City Library
Meiji-era Former City Library		 Tō-ō Gijuku Foreign Missionaries Residence
Tō-ō Gijuku Foreign Missionaries Residence		 Miniature replicas of historic Hirosaki buildings
Miniature replicas of historic Hirosaki buildings
Reflection of the former library
Reflection of the former library		 Ōtemon-hiroba with Former City Library
Ōtemon-hiroba with Former City Library		 Foreign Missionaries residence with mini models
Foreign Missionaries residence with mini models		 Former City Library detail
Former City Library detail
Kagamigaoka Memorial Hall
Kagamigaoka Memorial Hall		 Approach to Saishō-in
Approach to Saishō-in		 Five-storied pagoda at Saishō-in
Five-storied pagoda at Saishō-in		 Carp streamers at Saishō-in
Carp streamers at Saishō-in
Temizuya at the temple with dragon ornamentation
Temizuya at the temple with dragon ornamentation		 Praying at the main hall, Saishō-in
Praying at the main hall, Saishō-in		 Pagoda and bell tower, Saishō-in
Pagoda and bell tower, Saishō-in		 JR Hirosaki Station in early evening
JR Hirosaki Station in early evening

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