Hirosaki Castle Park, famed for its spring cherry blossoms, transforms equally dramatically each autumn when around 2,600 maple and ginkgo trees encircle the 17th-century castle keep with vivid scarlet and gold. The annual Hirosaki Kōyō Festival (弘前城菊と紅葉まつり) typically runs late October through early November, featuring chrysanthemum displays alongside the foliage. Evening illuminations reflect the coloured canopy in the castle's three moats. The cobblestone paths inside the park offer unobstructed views of the three-tiered keep framed by fiery maples.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Autumn Leaves
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- Late October–Early November
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Aomori
- City
- Hirosaki
Highlights
- ◆Japan's oldest surviving three-tiered castle keep in autumn frame
- ◆Illuminated moat reflections during evening koyo events
- ◆Chrysanthemum art displays alongside maple colour
- ◆2,600 maple and ginkgo trees across five park areas
- ◆Combined with Mt. Iwaki twilight backdrop on clear days