Originally constructed in 1611 and rebuilt in 1810, Hirosaki Castle (also known as Tatsuoka Castle) is one of the 12 surviving feudal castles in Japan and the northernmost of them. Today, the castle park is famed for its cherry blossom views, but visitors often remark that the castle itself is smaller than they expected. The original castle’s main keep was lost in a fire after lightning struck it in 1627, but the Tokugawa shogunate did not allow the regional province to rebuild it. The castle remained keepless for nearly two centuries…
