Long before this year's cherry blossoms were to bloom, I'd been aware that my planned Okinawa trip would likely coincide with the sakura season in Aomori. I felt a little disappointed by this, but hoped to at least catch a few days of it upon my return. Either way, I thought I would still have to miss the full bloom (manekai, 満開) this year. My prime destination was Hirosaki Castle, one of the most beautiful and famous hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots in Japan. So to give myself the best chance for a good sakura viewing, I skipped Aomori City on my return from Okinawa and rode a bus directly to Hirosaki.
Hirosaki Castle Park
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| Hirosaki Castle is famous for it's cherry blossoms |
I arrived early, while the skies were still dark and the sun just peeking above the horizon. I was tired and groggy, and totted a heavy bag full of dirty clothes and omiyage (obligatory gifts for my bosses and coworkers). The air was misty and as I walked towards the castle grounds the clouds started to trickle down rain too. I keep walking and soon I entered the park. I was thrilled to see the sakura still looking full and beautiful; it was only the rainy, dark skies that wouldn’t let me enjoy it completely. But as it happens sometimes in Aomori the weather rapidly changed and the clouds dissipated to reveal bright blue skies! So feeling gracious and high-spirited, I strolled around and happily snapped some nice pictures, then sat down and enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile. After I had enjoyed a wonderful day there, I finally returned to Aomori.
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| It was nice and quiet in the morning, very few people |
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| Fallen sakura pedals float beautifully in the castle moat |
Gappo Park, Aomori City
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| Walking paths are present throughout Gappo Park |
In addition to Hirosaki, I also had a pretty good chance to see cherry blossoms a few days later right in Aomori City as well. One of the best places to see it is at Gappo Park, on the east side of the city. There are plenty of sakura trees there, but it’s also one of my favorite places in Aomori in general with a nice beach, walking paths, and great spots for barbecues with friends.
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| Cherry blossoms blowing in a gentle breeze |
Aomori Spring Festival
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| Aomori Spring Festival in front of ASPAM (tourism building) |
Just as the hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season finishes up, Aomori City shifts from its relaxed spring mode into a more bit more of a upbeat, energetic spring feeling. By pure chance, I came across the Aomori Spring Festival event this year and I’m glad I did because it was quite a lot of fun to see. I can’t say what activities may or may not have been held earlier in the day, but when I arrived in the early evening, I saw many coordinated dance routines by yokasoi groups, belly dancers, and others.
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| Girl holding a sign with matsuri (祭, "festival") written on it |
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| Yosakoi (よさこい) is growing in popularity over the years |
With the end of the cherry blossom season and spring festivals commencing, Aomori comes increasingly closer to it's famous summer Nebuta festivals. Now a special energy begins to bloom in the region. People here know, summer is coming!
