Hirosaki Castle, a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in Aomori Prefecture

Hirosaki Castle, a valuable cultural property existing in Aomori Prefecture

Hirosaki Castle is a Hirayama castle located in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and was the residence of the Tsugaru clan of the Hirosaki domain.The castle tower and turret built during the Edo period still exist, so it has been designated as an important cultural property of the country. I am receiving Due to the castle abolition ordinance of the Meiji period and the air raids of World War II, there are only 12 castles in Japan that still have castle towers, and Hirosaki Castle is one of them, making it extremely valuable. It is also known as a famous spot for cherry blossoms, with Yoshino cherry trees and weeping cherry trees planted within the castle grounds, and the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is held in the spring.

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

Hirosaki Castle was built by Tamenobu Tsugaru, who fought on the side of the Eastern Army during the Battle of Sekigahara and was granted a territory of 47,000 koku by Tokugawa Ieyasu.Hirosaki Castle was located between the Iwaki River and the Tsuchibuchi River, which was then called "Takaoka". It all began when a castle was built on the site to become the capital of the Hirosaki domain, and an attempt was made to create a new castle town.
Tamenobu Tsugaru, the first lord of the Hirosaki domain, visited Kyoto to visit his eldest son, Nobuken Tsugaru, who was ill, but he died in Kyoto, and construction work on the castle was temporarily suspended. Masu. After that, a family riot called the Tsugaru Riot broke out, but as the Shogunate ruled that Nobumaki Tsugaru was recognized as the second lord of the domain, construction of the castle resumed with him taking the lead, and the castle was no longer the same as before. Utilizing materials such as wood from Horikoshi Castle and Oura Castle, the construction work was completed in a short period of time.
In addition, Tenkai Daisojo, who was deeply involved in the policies of the Edo shogunate and was also known as the ``black-robed prime minister,'' became the godfather, and the place name of Takaoka was changed to Hirosaki, and the name of the castle also came to be called ``Hirosaki Castle'' from then on. . The castle tower of Hirosaki Castle was actually burnt down during the Kanei era in the early Edo period, when the gunpowder magazine was ignited by a lightning strike and a huge explosion occurred, but in the Bunka era of the late Edo period, the lord of the domain, Yasuchika Tsugaru, replaced the existing castle tower. A request was made to the shogunate in the name of relocating the turret, which was approved, and it was decided to be rebuilt. The rebuilt castle tower has three floors, just as it can be seen today, and the Onari-no-Ma, the lord's room, has luxurious features such as a black lacquered tokonoma alcove.

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