We travelled by train from Aomori for a day in Hirosaki. A pleasant, 1 hr trip slower train, not the express , and arrived mid morning. Most attractions Castle, gardens, tourist centre are walking distance from the tourist bus stops. The Yen bus travels from the main station and does a full circuit , hop on or off anywhere, and Yen each trip - good value.
The Nebuta displays in the tourist centre are well worth seeing. This was the highlight of my trip to Misawa, Japan. The grounds were beautiful and there was some sort of festival going on at the time, the fall colors were magnificent. You will do a lot of walking on the grounds but it was great to see all the beautiful sights, and explore all the food from the vendors. There were a lot of people when we went on a Saturday, there was also a man playing the flute while many relaxed on a huge picnic ground.
The castle itself was not as big as it looks in the pictures but still very pretty. I would definitely recommend this to people who love to walk around to see the sights, there are many picturesque views that photographers will love. Very easy walking, but the castle grounds is fairly big. A very peaceful and relaxing visit, probably would have been an even better experience if it was cherry blossom season There is an entrance fee but it's not expensive. I visited this castle in August during the height of summer.
It is clear from tourist materials that Hirosaki Castle is at its best in Spring during cherry blossom season due to the large number of cherry trees surrounding the castle and its moats. Notwithstanding this, it is worth visiting year round as the grounds are lovely.
The castle building itself is surprisingly small however you can enter the castle and climb to the top for views of the moats and also, of Mount Iwate. The castle has both an outer and an inner moat and during August, much of the moat water is full of lotus plants and flowers which is very pretty.
