Hirosaki

Hirosaki, Japan: castle

Hirosaki, city, southwestern Aomori ken (prefecture), northern Honshu, Japan. It is located on the Iwaki River in the Tsugaru Plain. The isolated volcanic cone of Mount Iwaki (5,331 feet [1,625 metres]), a pilgrimage site, rises to the northwest.

Hirosaki developed as a castle town during the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). Hirosaki Castle—which was originally built in 1611, destroyed by fire in 1627, and rebuilt in 1810—is in Hirosaki Park, which is noted for its cherry blossoms in spring. Commercially, the city specializes in green lacquerware (tsugaru-nuri) and apple products. Hirosaki University was founded in 1949. Pop. (2010) 183,473; (2015) 177,411.