- Hirosaki domainTsugaru family continues to rule
- The Hirosaki domain was located in the western part of present-day Aomori prefecture. The Kuroishi clan was a branch domain, and the Tsugaru domain continued to rule this domain throughout the Edo period. Here, we will introduce the history of the Hirosaki clan in detail. Birth of the Hirosaki Clan The Hirosaki Clan was founded by Tamenobu Oura (
Hirosaki CastleHirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture
- TOP
- Tohoku
- Aomori Prefecture
- Hirosaki Castle
| Tenshu | Existing castle tower |
|---|---|
| Other name | Takaoka Castle, Takaoka Castle |
| castle construction | 1611 |
| address | 1 Shimoshiroganecho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture |
| telephone number | 0172-33-8739 |
| Opening hours | 9am to 5pm |
| closing day | November 24th - March 31st |
| Admission fee | Adults 320 yen, children 100 yen |
Hirosaki Castle is the only existing castle tower in Tohoku. Designated as a national important cultural property.
- Access to Hirosaki Castle
- Approximately 15 minutes by bus from Hirosaki Station on the JR Ou Main Line.
HISTORYHirosaki Castle has the only existing castle tower in Tohoku
Hirosaki Castle, also known as Takaoka Castle or Takaoka Castle, is a castle located in Shimoshirogane-cho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. During the Edo period, it functioned as the domain office of the Hirosaki domain, and today the only castle tower built in the Edo period remains in Tohoku. Let's unravel the history of Hirosaki Castle.
- Birth of Hirosaki Castle
- Hirosaki Castle was built by Tamenobu Oura, a subordinate of the local powerful feudal lord Nanbu clan. During the conquest of Odawara, the Oura clan received a red seal from Hideyoshi Toyotomi ahead of the Nanbu clan, which was the main force, and became the ruler of the Tsugaru region. At that time, the surname Oura was changed to Tsugaru, and Tamenobu Oura became Tamenobu Tsugaru.
In 1594, Tsugaru Tamenobu built Horikoshi Castle in Horikoshi, Hirosaki City, but decided to build a new castle at its current location as it was deemed unsuitable for military purposes.
Later, when the Battle of Sekigahara occurred in 1600, Tsugaru Tamenobu joined the eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. In recognition of his achievements, he was given an additional 2,000 koku, and the Hirosaki clan was established with 47,000 koku.
In 1604, Tsugaru Tamenobu began construction of Hirosaki Castle, but he died in Kyoto the following year, and construction was halted. Nobuhira Tsugaru, who succeeded Tamenobu, resumed construction of the castle and completed it in a short period of one year and one month in 1611. The name of the castle at this time was Takaoka Castle. From then on, Hirosaki Castle functioned as the domain office of the Tsugaru domain until the end of the Edo period. - Burning of the castle tower and reconstruction
- Hirosaki Castle (Takaoka Castle) was built with astonishing speed for its time, but in 1627, the castle tower, Honmaru Palace, and turret were destroyed by lightning. The reason why the fire was so large for a lightning-caused fire is said to be because there was gunpowder stored inside the castle tower, which ignited. After that, Hirosaki Castle remained without a castle tower for 200 years. After this lightning strike and fire, in 1628, Tsugaru Nobuichi followed the advice of his devotee, the priest Tenkai, and changed the name of ``Takaoka'' to ``Hirosaki,'' and the castle's name became Hirosaki Castle.
In 1810, when the 9th lord of the domain, Yasuchika Tsugaru, finally received approval from the shogunate to rebuild the castle tower under the pretext of ``building a new three-story turret.'' What was rebuilt at this time was the three-layer, three-story Gosankai Yagura, which is still known today as ``the lowest extant castle tower in Japan.'' - Hirosaki Castle after the Meiji era
- In the Meiji era, the Castle Abolition Order was issued and castles across the country began to be demolished all at once. Hirosaki Castle was no exception, and in 1873, the Honmaru Palace and martial arts hall were demolished. Afterwards, the former feudal lord, the Tsugaru clan, decided to open up the castle ruins as a public park, so he applied to the army to lease the castle grounds and was granted permission. Therefore, the buildings of Hirosaki Castle were spared further demolition.
In 1895, Hirosaki Castle was opened to the public as Hirosaki Park, and many cherry blossoms were planted there, making it a famous cherry blossom viewing spot.
In 1937, the existing buildings of Hirosaki Castle, except for the Sannomaru East Gate, were designated as national treasures (currently important cultural properties).
Later, in 1950, it became an important cultural property, and remains so to this day.
Since Hirosaki Castle was later designated as a national historic site, its official name was changed to "Tsugaru Castle Ruins." - Current Hirosaki Castle
- In the current Hirosaki Castle, the Gosankai Yagura (castle tower), Tatsumi Yagura, Ushitora Yagura, Mishin Yagura, Sannomaru Otemon, Sannomaru East Gate, Ninomaru South Gate, Ninomaru East Gate, and the northern Kakuhoku Gate (Kikkomon) remain as they were when the castle was built. It still exists and is designated as an important cultural property. In addition, Hirosaki Park is home to approximately 2,600 cherry blossom trees and is famous nationwide as a ``cherry blossom viewing spot.'' As the cherry blossoms are in full bloom during Golden Week, people come from all over the country to enjoy the last of the cherry blossoms.
In addition, seasonal festivals and events such as chrysanthemum festivals in autumn and snow lanterns in winter are held, and the area is crowded with locals and tourists each time.
History of the Hirosaki clan, whose domain office is Hirosaki Castle
| Domain office | Hirosaki Castle |
|---|---|
| old area | Tsugaru District, Mutsu Province |
| stone height | 100,000 koku |
| Fudai/Tozama | Foreigner |
| main lord | Tsugaru family |
| Estimated population | 280,000 people (first year of the Meiji era) |
Tsugaru Tamenobu, a vassal of the Nambu clan, became independent by cutting off part of the Nambu clan's territory.
Hirosaki Castle, famous for its cherry blossoms, is the only castle tower still standing in the Tohoku region.
Hirosaki Castle, located in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, is the only castle in the Tohoku region that still has a castle tower. Hirosaki Park, where the castle is located, is known as one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan, and is crowded with many people in the spring. In winter, the Snow Lantern Festival is held, making it a spot where you can enjoy the scenery typical of a snowy country.
- History of Hirosaki Castle
- Hirosaki Castle was built in the Edo period as the castle of the Tsugaru clan, lords of the Hirosaki domain (present-day western Aomori prefecture). The Tsugaru clan was originally a local lord in the Tsugaru region, calling themselves the Oura clan, but during the Sengoku period they unified the Tsugaru region. In the Battle of Sekigahara, they sided with the Eastern Army, and their head, Tsugaru Narinobu, became the lord of the Hirosaki domain with a fief of 47,000 koku due to his achievements.
To replace his previous castle, Horikoshi Castle, Narinobu began construction of a new castle in Takaoka (later renamed Hirosaki) in 1603. However, he died of illness the following year, and the castle was completed in 1611 by his son, Tsugaru Nobuhira.
In 1627, the castle tower was struck by lightning and set ablaze. The lightning struck a shachihoko (a type of Japanese lantern), and the fire started from the fifth floor of the castle, igniting the gunpowder stored in the castle and causing a huge explosion. The pillar of fire was apparently visible from Ikarigaseki (Ikarigaseki, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture), about 20km away.
The Hirosaki Domain wanted to rebuild the castle tower immediately, but the Buke Shohatto (laws governing the warrior class) prohibited the construction of new castles, and repairs and rebuilds also required permission from the shogunate. For this reason, Hirosaki Castle was left without a castle tower for about 200 years. The castle tower was rebuilt during the reign of the ninth lord of the domain, Tsugaru Yasuchika, who was given permission to "relocate the castle tower" in recognition of his achievements in guarding Ezo (Hokkaido).
The key point here is that Hirosaki Domain applied to the shogunate not for the "construction of a new castle tower," but for the "renovation of the tower base so that the domain and the sea could be seen in full view." At the time, Russian ships frequently visited Japan, and in 1806 (Bunka 3) and 1807 (Bunka 4), Russia attacked Sakhalin and Etorofu (the Bunka-Russian Raids), leading the shogunate to issue an order to drive away Russian ships. For this reason, it seems that the application for the purpose of coastal defense was approved.
Thus, in Bunka 7 (1810), the castle tower was completed by dismantling and rebuilding the Tatsumi Tower in the main citadel, and remains as it is today. - Highlights of Hirosaki Castle 1. The castle tower
- The castle tower of Hirosaki Castle is a three-story tower with each floor gradually getting smaller as it is built up. It is also designated as an Important Cultural Property.
The castle tower has arrowheads on the east and south sides, and the first and second floors have a central overhang, gabled gables, and stone drop structures. On the other hand, the north and west sides have no gables and are simply shaped with large windows. It is said that this was done to deceive the eyes of the shogunate. When building a castle tower, you want it to look impressive, but if you go too far, you will attract the attention of the shogunate...For this reason, the side that can be seen from the main citadel was made simply built, successfully avoiding inspections by shogunate officials. - Highlights of Hirosaki Castle 2: The relocated castle tower and stone wall construction
- Hirosaki Castle's castle tower has been in the process of being moved to a temporary castle tower base in the Honmaru since 2015 due to repair work on the stone walls. The 400-ton castle tower was moved about 70 meters in a moving house and placed on the current temporary castle tower base. The moving house was open to the public, attracting many visitors. It is planned that the move will also be open to the public when it is returned to its original location.
The construction work, which was decided upon after a portion of the stone wall under the castle tower had bulged, will involve removing 2,185 stones and re-stacking them, and is scheduled to be completed as early as fiscal year 2025. It is possible to observe some of the construction work. Excavations conducted during the work have revealed new discoveries, such as buried stone walls and the remains of wells, and there are high hopes for further investigations. - Highlights of Hirosaki Castle 3: The turrets and gates designated as Important Cultural Properties
- In addition to the castle tower, Hirosaki Castle has three turrets and five castle gates that have been designated as Important Cultural Properties. All of the turrets are located in the Ninomaru area, and are three-story, three-storey storehouses with hip-and-gable roofs. They are named after the zodiac signs that correspond to the directions seen from the castle tower: Tatsumi Turret, Mishin Turret, and Ushitora Turret. It is said that successive heads of the family would climb the Tatsumi Turret to watch the float processions of Hirosaki Hachiman Shrine.
- Recommended events at Hirosaki Castle: Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival and Snow Lantern Festival
- The Hirosaki Sakura Festival is held every year from mid-April to early May in Hirosaki Park, where Hirosaki Castle is located. The approximately 2,600 cherry trees, which are managed using temporary apple techniques, bloom in a spreading manner, painting the park in pink. In addition to Somei-Yoshino, double-flowered cherry trees such as Yaebenishidare are also beautiful, and the collaboration between the cherry blossoms and the castle tower is a must-see.
The entire surface of the outer moat is covered in cherry blossom petals, making it a popular scenic spot nicknamed the "flower raft" or "cherry blossom carpet."
The biggest winter event in Hirosaki Park is the "Snow Lantern Festival." About 150 snow lanterns, snow sculptures, and miniature snow igloos are placed in the park, lit up and lit up in the darkness. The snow lanterns that line the area around the temporary castle tower are very fantastical. - Recommended photo spots
- The standard photo spot for Hirosaki Castle is on Shimojo Bridge, which captures the bright red railing of the bridge and the castle tower of Hirosaki Castle. This is a composition that is often seen on posters, but since the castle tower has been moved, it is currently not possible to take photos. Currently, you can take photos of Hirosaki Castle with Mt. Iwaki in the background from the observation deck next to the temporary castle tower.
During cherry blossom season, you can take photos of the "flower rafts" from around the Otemon Gate. You can also take photos of the 300m long cherry blossom tunnel from around Shunyo Bridge.
- WriterNaoko Kurimoto(Writer)I am a former travel industry magazine reporter. I have loved history, both Japanese and world history, since I was a child. I usually enjoy visiting temples and shrines, especially shrines, and often do ``pilgrimages to sacred places'' themed around historical figures. My favorite military commander is Ishida Mitsunari, my favorite castle is Kumamoto Castle, and my favorite castle ruins is Hagi Castle. My heart flutters when I see the ruins of battle castles and the stone walls of castle ruins.
