A spring waterside scene where Hirosaki Castle and cherry blossoms come together
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
The 2026 edition of Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/10 〜 2026/05/05Ended
- Season / frequency
- Usually from late April to early May / Every year
- Location
- Hirosaki Park (Hirosaki Castle Ruins, a National Historic Site)
- Area
- Aomori Prefecture・Hirosaki City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h–3 h 30 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Hirosaki Park is generally free to enter. Some paid areas cost 320 yen for adults and 100 yen for children for 1 day. A pass for all 3 facilities costs 520 yen for adults and 160 yen for children.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring festival featuring around 50 varieties and approximately 2600 cherry trees in bloom across Hirosaki Park. Enjoy the scenery created by Hirosaki Castle’s keep and moat alongside the cherry blossom tunnel.
About Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: mko294 File:Aomori-Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival-xl.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 https://search.find47.jp/ja/i/UupZEDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: mko294 File:Aomori-Cherry carpetHirosaki Cherry Blossom-xl.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 https://search.find47.jp/ja/i/kf1ZrDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Totti File:20190421Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri 2.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring festival held at Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City.
Hirosaki Park has around 50 varieties and approximately 2600 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino and weeping cherry trees, creating a floral landscape alongside Hirosaki Castle’s keep and moat.
Cherry blossoms are reflected in the water of the outer moat, and as the petals fall, hanaikada—rafts of petals covering the water—can also be seen.
It is one of the four major festivals of Hirosaki and a spring event that represents the region.
Festival highlights
The highlight is the scenery within the park, where Hirosaki Castle and cherry blossoms come together.
Along the West Moat is a “cherry blossom tunnel” about 300 meters long, where you can walk beneath rows of cherry trees.
On the outer moat, cherry trees on both banks are reflected in the water, and you can also enjoy hanaikada, rafts of petals that cover the surface.
At night, the blossoms are illuminated, offering a different view from daytime.
A spring waterside scene where Hirosaki Castle and cherry blossoms come together
What to expect
The usual way to enjoy the festival is to walk through the park, taking in the rows of cherry trees, Hirosaki Castle, and the moat scenery in turn.
You can see different aspects of the blossoms in different places, such as the cherry blossom tunnel along the West Moat and hanaikada on the outer moat.
During the festival, stalls and vendors line the grounds, and performances are held at the Shinomaru Entertainment Stage.
Services available during the festival, such as West Moat boat rides, Nakabori sightseeing boats, and sightseeing rickshaws, are also listed.
Source: 弘前さくらまつりについて - 弘前さくらまつり-Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
参加費：弘前公園は基本無料。
Some paid areas cost 320 yen for adults and 100 yen for children for 1 day.
A pass for all 3 facilities costs 520 yen for adults and 160 yen for children.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hirosaki Park (Hirosaki Castle Ruins, a National Historic Site) / 1 Shimoshirogane-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
- Train and bus
About 10 minutes by bus from Hirosaki Station on the JR and Konan Railway lines.
Konan Bus lists special festival routes connecting Hirosaki Station and places such as City Hall.
- By car
About 25 minutes from Owani-Hirosaki IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
Roads around Hirosaki Park get congested during the festival.
- Parking
Temporary parking is available.
The Fujimibashi temporary parking lot is available from April 10 to May 5, and the Iwakibashi temporary parking lot from April 16 to May 5. Both are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
They close when water levels rise.
Source: さくらまつり交通情報｜弘前市観光情報サイト きてみて、ひろさき。ここみて、弘前
Address 1 Shimoshirogane-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival ran from April 10 to May 5.
The festival period and opening hours may change depending on the cherry blossom conditions.
Special illuminations were scheduled from sunset to 22:00, and stalls and vendors were listed as generally operating from 9:00 to 21:00.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Aomori Prefecture / Hirosaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
In 2026, visitors are advised to expect heavy congestion around Hirosaki Park during the festival. Parking lot access may be restricted, and it may take time to exit.
Please refrain from parking without permission on private property or stopping on the road while waiting for a parking space.
Some ticket offices in paid areas accept cash only.
The interior of Hirosaki Castle’s keep is not open to visitors, so please take this into account when planning your visit.
Source: 弘前さくらまつりの入園料金・有料区域・有料時間 - 弘前さくらまつり-Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
Nearby attractions
Highlights around the venue include Hirosaki Park / Hirosaki Castle, the oldest Somei Yoshino cherry tree in Hirosaki Park, and Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden.
Information is available on routes that combine a visit to the cherry blossoms and castle ruins in Hirosaki Park with related historic cherry trees and the botanical garden.
Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden is one of the paid areas within Hirosaki Park.
Fujita Memorial Garden is also listed as a facility covered by the combined ticket for the Honmaru and Kita-no-Kuruwa areas and the botanical garden.
堀越城
青森県の城・史跡のスポットです。
写真：MChew / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
大森勝山遺跡
青森県弘前市にある縄文時代の環状列石を主体とする集落遺跡
写真：MChew / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
岩木山神社
青森県弘前市にある神社
写真：nnh / Public domain(resized and reformatted)
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弘前れんが倉庫美術館
青森県弘前市にある現代美術館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
弘前八幡宮
弘前市にある神社
写真：AT@wiki from Japan / CC BY-SA 2.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
弘前公園
青森県弘前市にある公園
写真：Feri88 / CC BY 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
弘前市立博物館
青森県弘前市にある博物館
写真：663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
弘前市立郷土文学館
青森県弘前市にある文学館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
揚亀園
青森県弘前市の津軽藩ねぷた村にある日本庭園
写真：663highland / CC BY 2.5(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
旧第五十九銀行本店本館
青森県弘前市にある歴史的建造物
写真：Kaburamata / CC0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
津軽藩ねぷた村
青森県弘前市にある観光施設
写真：津軽藩ねぷた村 / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
瑞楽園
青森県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
写真：MChew / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival
Hirosaki’s cherry blossom history began in 1715, when a Tsugaru domain retainer brought cherry trees from Kyoto and planted them in the park.
In 1882, former domain retainer Kikuchi Tateei planted 1000 Somei Yoshino cherry trees, and planting continued in the years that followed.
The 1st Cherry Blossom Viewing Festival, organized by the Hirosaki Chamber of Commerce, was held in 1918, and the event was suspended from 1944 to 1946.
It officially resumed in 1947 and was renamed the “Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival” in 1961.
Source: 弘前さくらまつり - Wikipedia
Official information
Event details and information about using the venue can be found through the Hirosaki Tourism and Convention Bureau, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival special website for Hirosaki Park, and the Aomori Prefecture tourism information website.
Information is provided separately for the 2026 festival period, venue, illuminations, admission fees, and paid areas.
Information about transportation and temporary parking is posted on the Hirosaki City tourism information website’s festival transportation page.
The phone number for Hirosaki City Tourist Center is also listed as a contact.
Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival at a Glance
The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring festival where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms of Hirosaki Park, Hirosaki Castle, and the moat scenery together.
Highlights vary by location and time of day, including the cherry blossom tunnel, hanaikada (petal rafts), and illuminated cherry blossoms at night.
In 2026, the festival ran from April 10 to May 5, and the venue is about 10 minutes by bus from Hirosaki Station.
As roads nearby are expected to be congested, public transportation or the designated temporary parking lots are recommended.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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