A 45-minute trip on a local train got me to Hirosaki – a bus ride of a further 20 minutes later, I finally had arrived Hirosaki’s castle park. I entered the castle ground through the two Southern gates – and after crossing the inner moat I made it to the (smallish) Castle Tower (which today serves as a museum).

Spring was just about to kick in here – cherry blossom still roughly a week out (with the cherry blossom festival planned to start the following weekend – and preparations already ongoing) … this was good and bad at the same time – less picturesque, but then much more quiet and fewer people.

After going through the tower museum I continued through the botanical garden (again – too early in the season, albeit the first blooming cherry trees) and into the city historical museum. From here it was on to the nearby Fujita Memorial Garden which nicely blends in with Mt. Iwaki in the backdrop (talk about borrowed scenery).

I continued to and through a temple district, before making it to Hirosaki’s excellent Museum of Contemporary Art. Eventually I took the train back to Aomori – for dinner and a visit to the hotel’s rooftop onsen.