Neputa Village & Hirosaki Castle

Delve into the cultural and historical sides of the city of Hirosaki by visiting a museum filled with outrageous parade floats and a spectacular castle surrounded by cherry trees that bloom in the spring.

Take a scenic drive to Tsugara Neputa Village, a museum devoted to the Neputa summer festival in Hirosaki. Similar to the Neputa festivals held in other cities in the Aomori Prefecture, Hirosaki’s festival features enormous floats with painted screens depicting Japanese gods, historical figures and mythological beings. Many floats are on display and seeing them up close will be breathtaking.

The museum also includes exhibits of cultural items such as three-string shamisen musical instruments, local handicrafts and antique toys. Browsing the museum will be an enlightening, visually delightful experience that you will not soon forget.

Visit Hirosaki Castle, a fortification that Lord Tsugaru built when he governed this region in the early 17th century. The original castle tower was soon destroyed by fire after being struck by lightning, but it was rebuilt in the early 19th century although scaled down from five to three stories to comply with restrictions of the Edo Period.

Hirosaki Castle is a magnificent seemingly impenetrable structure, as it sits atop a sloped stone wall surrounded by fortified moats. The original castle grounds are now a sprawling park dotted with thousands of cherry trees that usually bloom late April to early May. As you will see, the park offers a wonderful setting for a relaxing stroll.