Hirosaki Castle, Aomori Prefecture's most famous cherry blossom spot

Hirosaki Castle, a precious cultural asset still standing in Aomori Prefecture

Hirosaki Castle, located in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, is a flatland castle that was the residence of the Tsugaru clan of the Hirosaki domain. It has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan due to the fact that the castle tower and turrets constructed during the Edo period still remain. Due to the castle abolition order of the Meiji era and air raids during World War II, only 12 castles in Japan still have their castle towers, and Hirosaki Castle is one of these, making it extremely valuable. It is also known as a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, with cherry trees such as Somei-Yoshino and weeping cherry trees planted within the castle grounds, and the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is held there in the spring

Photo by Kuruman – Hirosaki Castle (3) (2013) / Size-adapted.

Hirosaki Castle's origins lie in the fact that Tsugaru Tamenobu, who sided with the Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara and was granted a territory of 47,000 koku by Tokugawa Ieyasu, built a castle to serve as the capital of the Hirosaki Domain in an area then called "Takaoka," between the Iwaki River and the Tsuchibuchi River, and planned a new town layout to develop the castle town. Tsugaru Tamenobu, the first lord of the Hirosaki Domain, visited Kyoto to check on his eldest son, Tsugaru Nobutake, who was ill, but he died in Kyoto, and construction of the castle was temporarily suspended.
After that, a family dispute known as the "Tsugaru Disturbance" broke out, but the shogunate's ruling recognized Tsugaru Nobumaki as the second lord, and he took the lead in resuming construction. He utilized timber from the previous castles, Horikoshi Castle and Oura Castle, and completed the construction in a short period of time. Furthermore, the name was given by the Great Buddhist Priest Tenkai, who was deeply involved in the policies of the Edo shogunate and was also known as the "Prime Minister in Black Robes," and the place name Takaoka was changed to Hirosaki, and the castle's name has been called "Hirosaki Castle" ever since.
In fact, the Hirosaki Castle keep was destroyed by a massive explosion during the Kan'ei era in the early Edo period when lightning struck and ignited the gunpowder magazine. However, during the Bunka era in the late Edo period, the feudal lord Tsugaru Yasuchika petitioned the shogunate to relocate the existing turrets, and his request was approved, leading to its reconstruction. The reconstructed keep is the three-story structure that can be seen today, and the Onari-no-ma, the lord's room, features magnificent furnishings such as a black lacquered alcove.

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