Hirosaki, Japan | Avoid the crowds and enjoy the cherry blossom season at a different time

It's quite magical how I came to know about Hirosaki - I was discussing cherry blossom viewing in Japan with a friend, but it was already close to the blooming season in Osaka and Tokyo. So, I randomly searched and found out that the blooming in Aomori, in the northeastern part of Japan, happens later, usually in late April, and we could still make it to our schedule. Hirosaki Park is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Aomori. During the cherry blossom season, there's also a cherry blossom festival, making the park even livelier. Talking about this trip: I had calculated the days, but a week before we set off for Hirosaki, a sudden change in temperature caused most of the cherry blossom varieties to bloom earlier. The day before we arrived, there had been heavy rain, and the cherry blossoms in Hirosaki Park's tunnel and Hirosaki Castle, which are famous spots, had almost all fallen. We only saw these few weeping cherry trees, which were also nearing the stage of cherry blossom blizzards. However, after hearing the news about the blooming, I had already lowered my expectations and thought it was all down to luck. So, when I saw the weeping cherry trees, I was still blown away!! Clusters of waterfall-like blossoms, the feeling of fragmentation when the breeze blew was unbeatable!! It also coincided with this year's cherry blossom festival (4.19-5.5), and there were quite a few shops and free matcha available in Hirosaki Park, adding some festivity. If you don't want to squeeze through the crowds in Tokyo or Kyoto during cherry blossom season, I really recommend considering Aomori in northeastern Japan! Hirosaki is part of Aomori Prefecture, and Hirosaki Park is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, with the season generally in late April. Plus, the Aomori area has a lot of fun places to visit (check the main page for detailed strategies). 🌸 Cherry Blossom Viewing Strategy ① Check the blooming dates and plan your trip. Keep updated with the different blooming times for each area and variety, which are updated daily. ② There's a tourist information center at the Hirosaki station exit where you can get many free guides. During the cherry blossom festival, there are also guides and maps of Hirosaki Park for cherry blossom viewing, indicating where each type of flower and photo spots are. 🚗 Transportation Aomori has an airport, but there are no direct flights domestically; you need to transfer in Tokyo. I flew to Tokyo, took the Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori Station, and then transferred to JR to get to Hirosaki. 🏨 Hotels This time I stayed opposite Hirosaki Station, just across the road when exiting the station. It's a half-hour walk or a 15-minute bus ride from the hotel to Hirosaki Park. ➡️Hotel Route-Inn Hirosaki Ekimae ✅ Free Japanese breakfast and artificial hot spring (but the rooms are super small, and the room rate is 1k+ during cherry blossom season) 🚌 City Transportation Hirosaki is not big, and if you like walking, you can rely on walking. Buses accept Suica cards, and during the cherry blossom festival, the fare is 100 yen. There's a bicycle rental outside Hirosaki Station. 🏠 Other Attractions Besides Hirosaki Park for cherry blossom viewing, Hirosaki City also retains many Western-style buildings from the Meiji period, which is quite special. Most of the buildings are concentrated in one area and can be explored on foot. 📍Aomori Bank Memorial Hall > Hirosaki Church > Nichi-Tohoku Gakuin Foreign Teachers' House > Old Hirosaki City Library > Hirosaki City Hall > Starbucks Hirosaki Park Most places close around 5-6 pm, so be sure to check the times when planning your trip.