Hirosaki Castle, Aomori | Japan is Nippon

One of only 12 castles with an original Edo-period keep, ringed by about 2,600 cherry trees. In 2026 its keep is being moved back after stone wall repairs.

Hirosaki Castle keep seen from the inner citadel, framed by pine trees — Photo: Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Weeping cherry tree lit up at night in Hirosaki Park during the cherry blossom season — Photo: Feri88, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A keep that has stood since the Edo period

Hirosaki Castle is in the city of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture. It was completed in 1611 under Nobuhira, the second head of the Tsugaru family who ruled this area. The first keep had five storeys, but it burned down after a lightning strike in 1627. The keep you see today was rebuilt in 1810 by the ninth lord of the domain.

Only 12 castles in Japan still have a keep built in the Edo period or earlier (they are known as the "12 original keeps"), and Hirosaki Castle is one of them. Its keep, its yagura (turrets used for lookout and defence) and its gates are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

"The castle moves": stone wall repairs and the 2026 move back

The stone walls under the keep were close to collapsing once before, in the Meiji era, and in 1897 the keep was moved to the west so they could be repaired. About 100 years later, the city of Hirosaki began major repairs to the stone walls of the honmaru (the castle's central enclosure) once again.

In autumn 2015, to repair the walls, the whole keep was slowly moved in one piece using a technique called hikiya, and it sat on a temporary base inside the honmaru. Then in July 2026 the hikimodoshi began: moving the keep back onto its original stone walls. In August an event called "Hippare! Keppare! Hirosaki-jo" let local people and visitors join in, and the work of returning it to its original position is expected to last until around mid-November 2026.

Because of this work, visits to the inside of the keep have been suspended since 23 November 2025. The interior is due to reopen in fiscal year 2032, once earthquake-proofing and other work is finished, about seven years later.

Hirosaki Park through the seasons

The grounds around the castle have been laid out as Hirosaki Park, about 49 hectares, and have been open to the public since 1895. The park has about 2,600 cherry trees, and in spring it hosts the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival. Hanaikada ("flower rafts"), when fallen petals cover the surface of the moat, is one of the park's best-known sights.

There is the Chrysanthemum and Autumn Leaves Festival in autumn and the Snow Lantern Festival in winter, and in summer the Hirosaki Neputa Festival (where huge illuminated lantern floats are pulled through the streets) also takes place. The best time for cherry blossoms and the festival dates change every year, so check the Hirosaki Park general information website.

Getting there

The nearest station to Hirosaki Park is JR Hirosaki Station. From the station you can walk, take a taxi or use the loop bus that runs around the city.

Some parts of the park, including the honmaru, are paid areas. Check the official website for charges and opening hours.

Tips

You will not be able to go inside the keep until around fiscal year 2032. Until around mid-November 2026 work is under way to move the keep back to its original position, so how it looks from outside also depends on when you visit.
The work is also a rare chance to see the stone walls being repaired and learn about the traditional Japanese techniques used to move a whole castle building. Check the latest progress on the City of Hirosaki's stone wall repair page before you go.
It gets very crowded in cherry blossom season. You can check how the blossoms are coming along on the Hirosaki Park general information website.