We arrived on schedule at 7:00 this morning and had made plans for a DIY tour day, so after breakfast we made our way off the ship to meet our pre booked taxi that took us to Hirosaki Castle. The driving distance from Aomori to Hirosaki Castle is approximately 25 miles and the journey took longer than expected due to the time of day and all the commuter traffic.
The bonus though was we arrived before all the ships tours so had the place virtually to ourselves for 40 minutes. Hirosaki Castle is within Hirosaki Park and is noted for its autumn foliage. It didn’t disappoint as the colours were absolutely amazing.
The castle itself is undergoing restoration at the moment after the base was weakened following an earthquake so they literally pulled it off it’s platform so they could repair and reinforce the base. They are very close to putting it back in it’s rightful place and if all goes to plan, it should happen before the end of the year.
We had a memorable 2 ½ hours wandering around and enjoying the settings, in particular the colours of the leaves. To get back to Aomori, we chose the train as an alternative method of transport. The station was a 30 minute walk and a journey time of 40 minutes and provided an alternative perspective of the area. We were once again able to use our IC card to pay for our fare which was ¥680 (£3.20).
Timewise, they were very similar but the price comparison couldn’t have been more different.
Once we were back in Aomori, it was a short walk from the station to the Nebuta Museum which is a purpose made venue showcasing the floats from the world-famous Aomori Nebuta Festival.
Not a very big place but very interesting and visual.
A 20 minute walk from there and we were back on board and tucking into a late lunch.
More photos than text today as the images will say more than I ever can.
Fitbit Steps 16,489
I’m enjoying your latest Japanese adventure Mike , particularly your ‘get ahead of the crowds’ plans. A man after my own heart. It sure pays dividends with the photographs.