It’s a spring festival held annually from April 23 to May 5 at Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture.
*Light-up and other events may start earlier depending on bloom timing

Hirosaki Park, home to Hirosaki Castle, is one of Japan’s premier cherry blossom viewing spots with 2,600 cherry trees in full bloom.

I visited for the first time in 2021, and was moved to speechlessness by the beauty of cherry blossoms filling my view. Overwhelming compared to any cherry blossoms I’d seen in my life.

Depending on where you live, it might be difficult to get to Hirosaki, but it’s an absolutely breathtaking view you should see once in your lifetime.

This article provides detailed information about access methods and transportation to the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival venue, festival period, highlights, and photos and impressions from my actual visit!

Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival 2022: Period and Overview

The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring festival held annually in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture.

It’s one of Hirosaki’s Four Major Festivals (Hirosaki Neputa, Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Leaves Festival, Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival), but is probably by far the most nationally famous event among them.

Hirosaki Park is selected for both “Japan’s 100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots” and “Japan’s 100 Best Landscapes,” where about 2,600 cherry trees of approximately 50 varieties bloom profusely, including Japan’s oldest Somei Yoshino and Japan’s thickest (largest trunk circumference) Somei Yoshino.

Over 2 million people visit the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival annually. This ranks among Japan’s top Golden Week crowds alongside “Hakata Dontaku” and others.

The 2022 Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival will be held during the usual April 23-May 5 period with infection prevention measures in place. In response to early bloom forecasts, a preliminary festival setup will begin April 21, starting with almost the same full festival arrangements.

Note that while it was canceled in 2020, it resumed in 2021. I also visited in 2021.

Access to Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival Venue (Hirosaki Park)

Hirosaki Park, the festival venue with Hirosaki Castle inside, is located slightly northwest of central Hirosaki City.

From JR Hirosaki Station it takes about 30 minutes on foot, so taking a bus or taxi is recommended. From Chuo-Hirosaki Station on the Owani Line, it’s about a 15-minute walk.

【Shinkansen/JR】

When coming by Shinkansen or JR, access from major cities is as follows:

All routes involve taking the Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori Station first, then JR to Hirosaki Station.

【Airplane】

When using an airplane, once you reach Aomori Airport, you can get to Hirosaki City by bus in about 1 hour.
(Aomori Airport ⇔ Hirosaki bus info here)

Domestically, routes to Aomori Airport exist from the following 5 cities:

(Reference: Arrival Flight List | Aomori Airport Building Co., Ltd.)

We also used airplane. From Osaka’s Itami Airport, we boarded a smaller aircraft.

From there, we took a bus bound for Hirosaki City, about 1 hour.

We didn’t use it this time, but renting a car at Aomori Airport before going to Hirosaki is also an option.

【Car】

When heading to Hirosaki by car, travel time becomes quite long from anywhere outside neighboring prefectures.

Tokyo: about 8.5 hours
Osaka: about 14 hours
Nagoya: about 12.5 hours
Sendai: about 4 hours
Sapporo: (not possible as cars cannot pass through Seikan Tunnel)

For those outside Tohoku region, it’s recommended to first enter Aomori Prefecture by Shinkansen or airplane, then rent a car.

【Highway Bus】

I don’t recommend it since travel time is long and tough from anywhere outside neighboring prefectures, but there’s also the option of taking a highway bus to Hirosaki.

From Tokyo: “Panda-go” departing Shinjuku/Ueno (about 9 hours), “Sky-go” departing Ueno (about 9.5 hours), “Nocturne-go” departing Yokohama/Shinagawa/Hamamatsucho (about 9.5 hours).

From Sendai: “Castle-go” (about 4.5 hours).

Note that since the Seikan Tunnel between Hokkaido and Aomori doesn’t allow car passage, you cannot reach Hirosaki by highway bus from Sapporo.

Walking Through the Cherry Blossom Tunnel at “Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival” in Full Bloom

After arriving at Hirosaki Bus Center by bus from Aomori Airport, we walked about 20 minutes to check into Dormy Inn Hirosaki where we were staying.

It’s also within walking distance to Hirosaki Park (Hirosaki Castle), convenient for cherry blossom festival sightseeing.

After dropping off our luggage, we immediately headed out to the cherry blossom festival venue.

By the way, this was April 23, and since blooming was very early in 2021, it was already past peak bloom and starting to scatter a bit.

When we approached the park moat area, there were already many cherry blossoms. Here I saw for the first time the so-called “hanaikada” (flower raft) where petals completely cover the moat. Amazing…

Entering the park through Otemon gate. Somei Yoshino cherry trees line both sides. It’s late afternoon with the sun setting a bit, but still beautiful.

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms on both sides of the moat.

Whichever way you look, every scene is picture-perfect, so I can’t stop pressing the shutter.

Perhaps due to the times or because it’s a weekday, there aren’t many people and it’s easy to walk.

The branches of mature cherry trees extend to cover the moat.

Planted in 1882 (Meiji 15), said to be Japan’s oldest Somei Yoshino.

Compared to food stalls commonly seen at festivals, Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival stalls have impressive frameworks and signs. I’m not sure if this is Hirosaki culture or unique to Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival.

The rest areas provided are also surrounded by cherry blossoms. As long as you’re in Hirosaki Park, it’s nearly impossible to remove cherry blossoms from your view.

Tried portrait photography too.

The cherry blossom tunnel extending along Nishi-bori from near Shunyo Bridge. Not just both sides of the path but also overhead is completely covered with cherry blossoms, truly worthy of being called a tunnel.

In 2021, due to the circumstances, one-way traffic restrictions were in place. In 2022, the park will also have left-side traffic, and the Nishi-bori area will be clockwise one-way, so please check for yourself if you plan to visit.

During the cherry blossom festival period, the following infection prevention measures will be implemented. We ask for your understanding and cooperation.

Left-side traffic within the park.
(6:30-20:00)
Clockwise one-way traffic around Nishi-bori.
(7:00-20:00)
FY2022 Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival Information (as of 2022/4/4) – Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

A view of Mt. Iwaki (Tsugaru Fuji) and the sunset beyond the moat. Makes a picture even including people resting on benches.

At Night, a Spectacular View of Illuminated Cherry Tree Rows Reflected in the Water

After walking quite a bit, we rested at Dormy Inn for a while, then went out to see the illuminated night cherry blossoms after 7 PM.

With the sun down and lit by lights, the cherry blossoms show a different expression.

The cherry blossom colors stand out more against the black night sky background.

Weeping cherry near the main enclosure with lovely pink color.

Somei Yoshino reflected on the moat’s water surface.

The “cherry blossom heart” often featured on TV programs was also perfectly visible! The location is near Ninomaru, where a crowd gathers, so you should recognize it easily when you get close.

The cherry trees lined along Nishi-bori are even more spectacular at night. They’re beautifully reflected in rows on the water surface, creating a breathtaking scene. Just being able to see this made coming here worthwhile.

Walking through the night cherry blossom tunnel.

You can slowly appreciate them while resting on benches, or walk around as much as possible. Everyone is enjoying the cherry blossoms in their own way.

Going around Nishi-bori, we reached Shunyo Bridge. The bridge had the biggest crowd of the day. That must be the best viewing spot!

The spectacular view overlooking cherry blossoms along Nishi-bori from Shunyo Bridge. This is… amazing…! So moving it left me speechless.

For those who haven’t seen it yet, seriously, please go see it once in your life.

Enjoyed wonderful night cherry blossoms with great satisfaction. Thank you.

Cherry Blossom Carpet and Hirosaki Castle Surrounded by Weeping Cherry

The next day, we went out for a daytime stroll to see cherry blossoms until just before our return flight time.

Compared to the previous evening, with light coming more from above, the cherry blossoms look different. Since it was a period when they were starting to scatter a bit, the hanaikada had grown even more since yesterday, like a cherry blossom carpet.

Such density of petals that cherry tree shadows reflect beautifully.

It’s amazing looking at photos again, but the emotion when seeing it on site really can’t be expressed in words.

This day, we headed to Hirosaki Castle, which we skipped the previous day.

The weeping cherry we saw illuminated the previous night. The black night sky background was nice, but it’s also beautiful with the daytime blue sky.

Though it was Saturday, we could comfortably enjoy our stroll without being packed with people. However, I went in 2021 when attendance was 200,000, while normally it’s over 2 million, so normal years should be more crowded.

Japan’s thickest Somei Yoshino. Trunk circumference is 537cm, tree height is 10 meters.

Another cherry tree behind it was also in full bloom right now and amazing.

We arrived at Hirosaki Castle. Normally castles stand on stone walls, but this Hirosaki Castle is temporarily on a temporary main tower base during stone wall repair work. Stone wall repair work will apparently be conducted from fall 2015 to 2023.

You can enter inside Hirosaki Castle. Inside has castle models, photos displayed, and some souvenirs sold, so maybe not essential to enter. However, the view of Mt. Iwaki and cherry blossoms from gaps in the castle window lattices was wonderful.

Looking closely, around the castle are not Somei Yoshino but all weeping cherry. The castle surrounded by blue sky and pink cherry blossoms really stands out.

As an aside, the original photo of ↑ had passersby and guards in it, which I removed using Pixel 6 Pro’s “Magic Eraser.” Looks natural with just some people’s shadows remaining, right? Amazing.

The photo as originally taken is this ↓

Reference article: Edit Post “How to Use Pixel 6 Magic Eraser. Easily Remove People and Objects by Tapping – Convenient and Fun New Feature” ‹ ushigyunet — WordPress

We fully enjoyed the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival. It was the best cherry blossom experience.

Impressions of Visiting Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

It was quite a hard trip going to USJ in Osaka then immediately flying to Aomori, but it was a spectacular view that made me sincerely think it was really worth coming even with some effort.

Among Japan’s many famous cherry blossom spots, I wonder if it’s difficult to surpass this emotion.

As long as bloom timing aligns, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival offers undoubtedly wonderful cherry blossoms.

Without exaggeration, it’s a ‘once-in-a-lifetime spectacular view you must see before you die,’ so please visit!

Designated a natural monument as a breeding ground for black-tailed gulls, the sheer number of gulls lining the shore and calling out was unlike anything I’d ever seen.

If you travel to Aomori, Kabushima is an absolute must!

The Gull-Dominated Island of Kabushima

Here is Kabushima. Passing through the torii gate leads you to Kabushima Shrine. Originally a true island, it was connected to the mainland by land reclamation about 70 years ago.

Located on the coast of Hachinohe—Aomori’s second-largest city, which suffered heavy damage in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.

View larger map

No sooner had we arrived than countless gulls greeted us. Incredible.

Even the hotel shuttle bus was claimed by gulls.

They occupied metal railings, too.

Along the nearby water’s edge, they formed a solid line. This island truly belongs to the gulls.

I edged closer to capture them in action.

Gulls in Formation Around the Shrine

Passing under the torii and climbing to the shrine, gulls stood guard on both sides like sentinels.

A small resting bench was even overtaken by gulls.

Gulls formed squads overlooking the sea—a striking sight.

Getting very close still didn’t scare them off:

Two regal gulls with the sea behind them.

A brown gull turned out to be a juvenile—the plumage so different I almost missed it!

I even got photobombed while photographing:

That Saturday, I also witnessed a wedding at the shrine—newlyweds flanked by thousands of gulls!

The shrine’s true guardian is the gull itself.

Let’s end with their mewing chorus echoing through the grounds (volume warning):

Afterword

I visited in early August, but the gulls begin to leave around that time. Their peak numbers are April–June during breeding season, when the displays are even more incredible—though beware a high chance of “gull bombs”! (Umbrellas are on hand, but caution is advised.) When you travel in Tōhoku, make sure to experience Kabushima—it’s breathtaking!