Zuirakuen Garden

A shrine with over 1200 years of history, built at the base of Mount Iwaki for mountain worship.

The Ito family were a doctor family for generations during the feudal era. They operated out of the house, so even though it is located in the samurai district, it is not actually a samurai residence. Nevertheless, the architecture closely resembles that of a samurai residence.

A preserved historic district containing former samurai residences. Several houses can be entered, allowing visitors to see the relatively modest domestic architecture of the lower-ranking samurai class.

Hirosaki Castle was completed in 1611 and housed several generations of the Tsugaru Clan. The large 49.2-hectare grounds include three concentric moats and earthen fortifications that surround the remains of the inner castle area: five castle gates, three corner keeps and a castle tower. After the original five-story tower was struck by lightning and burned down, the current three-storied Tenshukaku tower was built to replace it. The castle grounds are now a public park famous nationwide for its cherry blossoms. The castle tower houses a museum featuring samurai-era swords, suits of armor, helmets and other items related to the castle's history. See also Japanese castles.

Located at the park's northerneastern corner, this is where the festival's floats and memorabilia are held outside the Neputa festival season (see Do). The Village showcases a particularly large 8x10m specimen, and sheepishly notes that it's now too big to fit under the electric wires that crisscross Japanese streets. There are also several workshops preparing traditional Hirosaki handicrafts, which can be purchased by visitors.

A substantial Japanese-style garden created in 1919 by businessman Fujita Kenichi. Its landscaped grounds, traditional buildings and elevated garden area provide a contrast with the older feudal-era sites.