Tohoku Diary #6: Hirosaki Moving Castle & The Fushimi Inari of the North
Hello friends! Welcome back
to Tales of Two Travelers where we share our adventures and travel stories. We’re continuing our journey through
Aomori ~ Tohoku with a visit to some destinations a bit further from Aomori City,
namely Hirosaki and Takayama Inari Shrine. Since there wasn’t any convenient public
transport between these locations, we decided to rent a car for the day from Aomori. The rental cost us about 14,000 Japanese
yen or roughly $120 Singapore dollars. With seven of us sharing the ride and saving tons
of time, we thought it was a pretty good deal. One of the best parts of road trips in Japan is the journey itself. We’re always
treated to beautiful landscapes, and the traffic and road conditions are
superb, except maybe in the big cities. Drivers here are so considerate and careful
making the experience even more enjoyable. After about an hour’s drive
we arrived in Hirosaki, a city steeped in history known for its castle,
apple orchards, and the Neputa Festival. Our first stop was Hirosaki Castle, built in 1611
by the Tsugaru clan, rulers of the western Aomori prefecture. This castle is one of the only 12
surviving castles from the Edo period, and today it’s a nationally important cultural property
surrounded by a sprawling 49 hectare park. Here’s a fun fact, the castle you see today isn’t
in its original position. Over time, the stone foundation which also serves as the retaining
wall weakened due to natural wear and tear. In 2015 engineers embarked on an
incredible project to move the 400 ton structure roughly 70 m to
enable a restoration of the walls. A feat so impressive that it drew
national attention. There was even a special viewing gallery built for spectators. It sure makes moving home
look simple in comparison. Around the castle, the public park
is a gorgeous place to take a stroll, and one of the most popular sites
for hanami or sakura bloom watching. More than 2,500 cherry trees in the park
transform the place into hues of pink. At this time, the fallen cherry petals
will fill the surface of the moat, creating a breathtaking, surreal landscape Our next destination was the
Tsugaru-han Neputa village. If Aomori City is famous for its Nebuta festival, Hirosaki has a similar version
called the Neputa festival. This complex was created as an homage
and museum to this annual event. Notice that the floats in this
festival are shaped like a fan, very different from the extremely
complex ones used in Aomori City. Hirosaki is also the birthplace
of the Tsugaru Shamisen, a traditional three- stringed instrument. We were lucky enough to catch a live performance
in the museum, a must see if you visit. After enjoying the show and
the display of the floats, you can wander around the rest of the museum,
which includes a woodworkshop where you can see craftsmen working on various handicrafts such
as kokeshi dolls or other traditional items. There’s even a tranquil Japanese
garden complete with a koi pond, where you can feed the fish, and
inadvertently the hungry ducks. With that, it is time to leave Hirosaki and make our way to our next destination.
But of course, lunch came first! We had an amazing meal at Tsuke Soba Tsuzakura. Here, we ordered the specialty, tsuke soba dish, which is similar to tsukemen but enjoyed
with thick soba instead of the usual ramen. The thick soup made from pork and seafood
broth was superbly delicious, and it was not an exaggeration to say that we came out of the
restaurant happy and ready for more adventures! Back in the car, the next
1-hour drive passed by as we enjoyed beautiful scenery dotted
with apple trees along the way. Takayama Inari Shrine is something that
people might say off the beaten path. It’s neither very accessible nor too popular. But
because of this, the shrine complex is tranquil and peaceful, making it an ideal retreat
for visitors seeking a spiritual experience. As its name suggests, the
shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto deity of agriculture,
fertility, rice, and prosperity. Because of this, the place became a spiritual
centre for local farmers and merchants, seeking blessings in their endeavours. One unique feature here is the Mizu-ura
Omikuji, a water revealed fortune slip. Unlike typical Omikuji, this one appears
blank at first. To reveal your fortune, you dip the paper into a
basin of sacred shrine water. The process ties into Shinto
beliefs about the purifying power of water and its importance in agriculture. Even though one might think of it as gimmicky,
it was a unique and memorable experience Now, into the main attraction! The Takayama Inari
Shrine boasts over 200 vermilion torii gates, forming a pathway leading to
the shrine’s inner sanctum. It kind of reminds you of the famous
Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. In fact this place is also known
as the Fushimi Inari of The North. These torii wind through a gentle hill
slope, around various bodies of water, creating a scenic and dreamlike
atmosphere, especially at dusk when the gentle sunlight reflected on the
vermilion colours of these snaking gates. Once you reach the top, just take
a sweeping view downwards to the west. Don’t you think it is such
a stunning and otherworldly view? Near the top you, can also find numerous fox
statues with red bibs as a sign of reverence. These fox spirits or kitsune are
often associated with Inari shrines, and are believed to be the
messengers of the deity. Legends say that these playful
spirits often play harmless tricks on visitors. I wouldn’t mind a little
mischief for such a beautiful view. And with one last glance, we
are going back to Aomori City. And that’s a wrap for this video!
It was an amazing 1-day adventure throughout a less-travelled location in Japan. If you ever get the chance, we highly recommend adding these spots
to your itinerary. Until next time!
Join us on a road trip to some amazing places in Aomori prefecture! Hirosaki, a charming town with vibrant culture, and Takayama Shrine, a hidden gem away from the beaten path.
Music:
– For Some Time – Daniel Gunnarsson
– Deep and Abiding – Victor Lundberg
– Don’t Waste My Time – Victor Lundberg
– Tomorrow – Vincent Vega
Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Things we use:
– We use Revolut and Wise cards in our travel, as they make life much easier with very competitive exchange rates (almost comparable to the Google rates). If you are looking for quasi-credit cards for travelling, check them out and use our referral links!
Revolut: https://revolut.com/referral/edwinaco11!JUN1-22-AR-HI
Wise: https://wise.com/invite/iw/edwinae12
– We use Epidemic Sound for the music in our videos! If you enjoy them, you can sign up and get a free trial through our referral link:
https://share.epidemicsound.com/jkxe9u
Timestamps:
01:00 Hirosaki & Hirosaki Castle
02:36 Tsugaru Han Neputa Village
04:40 Tsuke Soba
05:26: Takayama Inari Shrine
1 Comment
Miss Japan so much and traveling with you! ❤ Great video, sis!