Amazing AOMORI

With approximately 2,600 cherry trees of about fifty types, mainly the Somei Yoshino variety, Hirosaki Park in Hirosaki City is famous as one of Japan’s most magnificent spots for viewing cherry blossoms. During the Golden Week holiday in May, when the cherry blossoms reach peak bloom, the park becomes packed with both domestic and international visitors. But did you know that spring isn’t the only season when the cherry trees of Hirosaki Park reach “full bloom”? You can also see beautiful “cherry blossoms” in a completely different season, midwinter.

Hirosaki residents’ love for cherry blossoms has resulted in an event known as the “Winter Cherry-Blossom Illuminations.” In this event, which has been held in Hirosaki Park since 2017, cherry trees with snow-covered branches are lit up after dark to recreate rows of cherry trees in “full bloom” along the moat of Hirosaki Park at night.

The best time to view these “winter cherry blossoms” is when snow falls and covers the branches of the cherry trees. The snow on the branches reflects the lights, producing a beautiful pink color that makes it look just like rows of cherry trees are in full bloom along the nighttime moat. This uniquely fantastical scenery cannot be experienced anywhere else. The scenery also changes according to the weather, so that visitors can always encounter new surprises. For example, on snowy days, a “cherry-blossom blizzard” dances through the air, and when the water in the moat is frozen, a snowy “raft of petals” appears, as if fallen cherry blossoms are drifting on the surface of the water.

During the annual event, cherry trees are lit up for several hours after sunset each day along about 500 meters of the outer moat, mainly near the Otemon Gate of Hirosaki Park. The starting time of the illuminations is adjusted according to the timing of sunset, but the period beginning 30 to 60 minutes after sunset is particularly recommended, as the bluish color of the sky makes the pink snow stand out even more.

Come to Hirosaki Park to experience the uniquely fantastical nighttime scenery of “winter cherry blossoms,” sure to become an unforgettable memory of your trip.