
Hirosaki
・Town where you can eat a variety of apple pies
・Buildings with a retro Western feel
【City description】
Hirosaki City, located in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, once had a castle and developed as a castle town. Even though Aomori Prefecture is famous for apples, the city focuses on apple pie, and each shop has different apple pie maps and offers a taste comparison service. The Neputa Festival is also held every August.
【Overall rating】
★★★★☆
【Time required】
9 h
【Budget】
2120 yen
【Fatigue】
★★★★★
You can find how to organize a trip for three festivals in one week.
- Itinerary Map
- ①JR Hirosaki Station
- ②Tsugaru-han Neputa-mura Village
- ③Hirosaki Castle
- ④Hirosaki Municipal Tourist Information Center
- ⑤Hirosaki City Local Literature Museum
- ⑥Former Hirosaki City Library
- ⑦Hirosaki Municipal Festival Floats Exhibition Hall
- ⑧Former Tōō Gijuku Missionary Residence
- ⑨Miniature Structures
- ⑩Aomori Bank Memorial Museum
- ⑪Starbucks Coffee Hirosaki Park Front Store
- ⑫Fujita Memorial Garden
- ⑬Chōshōji Temple
- ⑭Saishōin Temple
- ⑮Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art
- For more travel information, click here!
Itinerary Map
Navigation
【Start】①JR Hirosaki Station
★Route time required:10 min
Take the bus bound for Itayanagi Information Center on the Hirosaki-Itayanagi Line from bus stop No. 7 in front of the station, and get off at the bus stop Kamenokomachikado. Proceed to the building on the right hand side of the bus. The fare is 200 yen and transportation IC cards are accepted.
★Route time required:10 min
Turn right after leaving Neputa Village, then turn left at the first intersection and continue straight until you see the entrance.
★Route time required:5 min
Leave the park, go up the stairs on your right and enter the building on your left.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Leave the building and go left until you see the next building.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Exit the building and turn right to enter the Western-style building you will see.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Exit the building and go to the right to find the next building.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Leave the building and go to the Western-style building across the street.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Go around to the back of the building.
★Route time required:5 min
When you return to the front of the Foreign Teachers’ House, go right and when you reach the street, turn left. Turn right at the end of the road and follow the road until you see a Western-style building on your right.
★Route time required:10 min
If you go back the way you came and walk along Hirosaki Park, you will see a retro building just beyond the park exit.
★Route time required:5 min
Continue along the street, cross the first traffic light and go through the gate on your left.
★Route time required:15 min
Turn right at the previous traffic light, then turn right at the fourth traffic light and follow the road until you see the temple at the end of the tree-lined road.
★Route time required:30 min
Return to the original road from Zenringai, turn right, cross the bridge and turn left at the next traffic light. Follow the road and go to the temple at the curve.
★Route time required:10 min
Continue along the street, turn right at the first traffic light, go down the hill and over the railroad crossing to reach the park. The brick building in the park is your next destination.
★Route time required:20 min
Continue along the same road and turn right at the first intersection to reach the Sumiyoshi-iriguchi bus stop. From there, take bus number 15 back to Hirosaki Station. The fare is 200 yen.
JR Hirosaki Station
Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
①JR Hirosaki Station
★Route time required:10 min
Take the bus bound for Itayanagi Information Center on the Hirosaki-Itayanagi Line from bus stop No. 7 in front of the station, and get off at the bus stop Kamenokomachikado. Proceed to the building on the right hand side of the bus. The fare is 200 yen and transportation IC cards are accepted.
②Tsugaru-han Neputa-mura Village

Time required : 40 min
Admission fee:600 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:No
This is a facility where you can learn about Tsugaru crafts and the Neputa Festival. There are souvenir shops, restaurants, and a paid observation facility. The Hirosaki Neputa Museum has an exhibition of Neputa, and you can watch demonstrations of Ohayashi and Tsugaru shamisen. Ya-Ya-Do displays materials on Neputa, and at Tsugaru Warehouse “Sakumi” you can tour, experience, and purchase crafts such as Kokeshi dolls. Finally, there is a Japanese garden that is a registered cultural property of the country.

★Route time required:10 min
Turn right after leaving Neputa Village, then turn left at the first intersection and continue straight until you see the entrance.
③Hirosaki Castle

Time required : 1 h
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:No
The castle is located in a park famous for its cherry blossoms, with 2,600 cherry trees planted. At the Hirosaki Castle Information Center near the castle, you can watch a video of a walk through the park with cherry blossoms in full bloom.
The castle was built when Oura Noritomo (later Tsugaru Noritomo) expanded the territory from the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and established the Edo Shogunate. Noritomo died before seeing its completion, and his third son, Nobuhira, inherited it, and the castle town was built and the place name changed to Hirosaki.
The castle is the only remaining Edo castle tower north of the Kanto region and is registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and inside there are exhibits that teach the history of the castle. If the weather is good, you can see Mt. Iwami behind the castle. There are also museums, a zoo, souvenir shops, and restaurants where you can compare different apple pies in the park.

★Route time required:5 min
Leave the park, go up the stairs on your right and enter the building on your left.
④Hirosaki Municipal Tourist Information Center

Time required : 30 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 6 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3
This is a facility where you can learn about tourist information for Hirosaki. On the first floor, there is a huge Neputa display and a souvenir shop. On the second floor, folk crafts such as Tsugaru lacquerware are on display.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Leave the building and go left until you see the next building.
⑤Hirosaki City Local Literature Museum

Time required : 30 min
Admission fee:100 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3, 3/22 – 3/31
This is a museum of literary figures related to Hirosaki City. There are many special exhibitions, but the permanent exhibition also displays materials on nine literary figures, including Osamu Dazai.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Exit the building and turn right to enter the Western-style building you will see.
⑥Former Hirosaki City Library

Time required : 15 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3
This library was in use until 1931. It is a three-story wooden building that incorporates Renaissance style, but also incorporates Japanese elements such as the use of plaster on the exterior walls. Historical materials are on display while the library’s interior has been preserved.

★Route time required:a few minutes
Exit the building and go to the right to find the next building.
⑦Hirosaki Municipal Festival Floats Exhibition Hall

Time required : 15 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 6 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3
Seven floats used in the Hirosaki Hachiman Festival during the feudal era are on display. Some are unique, such as a radish float. A huge drum called Tsugaru Gojoubari Daiko, which was also used in the Neputa Festival, is also on display.

★Route time required:a few minutes
Leave the building and go to the Western-style building across the street.
⑧Former Tōō Gijuku Missionary Residence

Time required : 10 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9h30 am – 6 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3
This building was the residence of foreign missionaries invited to To-o Gijuku, a private school based in Aomori. The first floor is a cafe, but the second floor can be visited and its antique interior gives a glimpse into the lives of foreigners in the Meiji period.
★Route time required:a few minutes
Go around to the back of the building.
⑨Miniature Structures

Time required : 5 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Thirteen buildings, including Western-style buildings that existed in Hirosaki during the Meiji and Taisho periods, are on display at 1/10 scale.
★Route time required:5 min
When you return to the front of the Foreign Teachers’ House, go right and when you reach the street, turn left. Turn right at the end of the road and follow the road until you see a Western-style building on your right.
⑩Aomori Bank Memorial Museum

Time required : 40 min
Admission fee:200 yen
Opening hour:9h30 am – 4h30 pm
Close:12/29 – 1/3
This building was once the main branch of the 59th Bank, and is a two-story wooden masterpiece that incorporates the Renaissance style while also incorporating Japanese elements. In 1965, it was nearly demolished to make way for the construction of the current Hirosaki branch, but was left standing at the request of local residents. The inside of the building retains the original appearance of a bank while also featuring Western-style interior design. As befitting a bank, old currency and other materials are on display.
★Route time required:10 min
If you go back the way you came and walk along Hirosaki Park, you will see a retro building just beyond the park exit.
⑪Starbucks Coffee Hirosaki Park Front Store

Time required : a few minutes
Opening hour:7 am – 9 pm
It was originally the residence of the 8th Army Division Commander, but after the war it was used as accommodation for the US Army Commander. In 1951 it became the mayor’s residence, and is now the Starbucks. The interior retains a retro atmosphere, making it a great place to take a break.
★Route time required:5 min
Continue along the street, cross the first traffic light and go through the gate on your left.
⑫Fujita Memorial Garden

Time required : 40 min
Admission fee:320 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:No
This is a Japanese garden that was created by Hirosaki businessman Fujita Kenichi as a separate residence. There is a Japanese-style mansion as you descend to the lowlands.
The Taisho Romantic Cafe at the entrance has a retro and stylish interior, and you can compare the different apple pies from Hirosaki. If you make a reservation at a popular shop, you can check the waiting time on your mobile phone, so it is recommended to make a reservation first and then go sightseeing elsewhere.

★Route time required:15 min
Turn right at the previous traffic light, then turn right at the fourth traffic light and follow the road until you see the temple at the end of the tree-lined road.
⑬Chōshōji Temple

Time required : 20 min
Admission fee:0 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 4 pm
Close:No
This temple enshrines the ancestors of the Tsugaru clan. The tree-lined road leading to the temple is called Zenringai, and on either side of it are 33 Soto Zen temples. This originates from the fact that the second feudal lord, Tsugaru Nobuhira, gathered the Tsugaru Soto Zen monks and established the town as a southwestern fort fort of Hirosaki Castle.
The main hall, which can be seen through the Sanmon Gate, a national important cultural property visible from Zenringai, is the oldest Soto Zen main hall in Japan in the hojo style. You can enter the main hall from the Kuri (where monks prepare meals) on the right, and the humorous guide sign is also worth seeing. Across from the kuri, the Soryu Cave is lined with wooden statues.

★Route time required:30 min
Return to the original road from Zenringai, turn right, cross the bridge and turn left at the next traffic light. Follow the road and go to the temple at the curve.
⑭Saishōin Temple

Time required : 30 min
Admission fee:500 yen
Opening hour:9 am – 4h30 pm
Close:No
This temple is the head of the Tsugaru Shingon sect’s five mountains and once governed as many as 1,133 shrines. As a temple for the Year of the Rabbit, rabbits are placed there instead of lion dogs. The five-story pagoda built by the third feudal lord, Tsugaru Nobuyoshi, is described as “the most beautiful pagoda in the Tohoku region” in the explanation of the important cultural property of the country, and was built by the second feudal lord, Tamenobu, to mourn those who died in the process of unifying Tsugaru.

★Route time required:10 min
Continue along the street, turn right at the first traffic light, go down the hill and over the railroad crossing to reach the park. The brick building in the park is your next destination.
⑮Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art

Time required : 1 h
Admission fee:depend on the exhibition
Opening hour:9 am – 5 pm
Close:Tuesday, 12/26 – 1/1
This museum was created by renovating a brick warehouse that was once a brewery producing cider, whiskey, etc. Three programming exhibitions are held each year featuring cutting-edge art from Japan and abroad.
★Route time required:20 min
Continue along the same road and turn right at the first intersection to reach the Sumiyoshi-iriguchi bus stop. From there, take bus number 15 back to Hirosaki Station. The fare is 200 yen.
【Goal】
JR Hirosaki Station
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