Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden

Hirosaki Castle Park Cherry Blossom Festival 2022 Dates: April 23rd to May 5, 2022 If you’re late to the hanami season, have no fear. The Hirosaki Castle Park festival, located in the Aomori prefecture in the far north of Japan, is one of the last (and most spectacular) festival locations of the season. More than a million visitors head to the 400-year-old castle every year to view the 2,600 trees that bloom throughout the park surrounding the castle. Festivities surround the foot of the castle, both day and night, and involve street food (lots of bento boxes), craft stalls for special trinkets, and traditional Japanese music and dance. This particular festival lasts longer than most because it’s customary to view the fallen petals, which have settled on the castle’s moat long after the last petals have left the trees. If you’re looking for an otherworldly cherry blossom experience, this is the place to be.