Hirosaki: Petals Starting To Fall

Following on from Raina's report on Wednesday from Kakunodate, I spent today at Hirosaki Castle Park in Aomori Prefecture - a pleasant open space with over 2500 cherry blossom trees spread across lawns and gardens, along wide strolling paths and amongst what remains of the old castle.

Already a few days into full bloom, the cherry blossoms here were for the most part still looking very full and attractive, but already just beginning to lose a few petals here and there. A sudden shower during my visit however, accompanied by some strong gusts of wind, will likely bring this year's season to a slightly premature close around the start of the coming week.

I began my visit at the park's southeast corner, where petals could be seen falling from trees along the east castle moat and beginning to form a carpet across the surface of the water. Before making my way through the main entrance, I made a quick stop at the top floor of the nearby city hall for a free view across the moat and into the lower part of the park.

Inside, the trees were generally just a little less advanced, with branches looking fuller and a lot less petals to be seen on the ground. Especially attractive scenes could be found around the main castle tower, as well as along the sakura tunnel lining the inner side of the west moat.

Rain began to fall just as I was leaving this part of the park and quickly intensified, thinning the crowds and causing many of the food stalls clustered around the Sannomaru and Shinomaru areas to close early. While the rain soon began to ease off, petals were already piling up on the ground as I made my own way out, making me think just a couple of days or so remain to enjoy the park at something close to its best.

Illuminations will be held at various spots throughout the park from sunset until 22:00 up to May 5.