Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival

Frequently asked questions

When is the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival 2027?

The 2027 festival runs for 20 days from Friday, April 16 to Wednesday, May 5, 2027 (a public holiday). Hirosaki's official tourism site posted the confirmed dates on October 1, 2026; the Toonippo reported them as the city's October 1 announcement and the Mutsu Shimpo as the decision of the four organizing bodies that day (checked 2026-10-11). If an early bloom is forecast, the organizers may move the start earlier, so re-check the festival page of Hirosaki's official tourism site before you travel. According to the Mutsu Shimpo, the 2026 festival was originally set to open on April 17 and was moved earlier because of the early bloom; it ultimately ran April 10 to May 5 (confirmed on the official tourism site).

Where is the festival held?

At Hirosaki Park, the nationally designated historic site of Hirosaki Castle, in Hirosaki, Aomori. The park has about 2,600 cherry trees of 52 varieties, mainly Somei Yoshino plus weeping and double-flowered types, and Hirosaki's official tourism site lists about 2 hours for a full loop (checked 2026-10-11).

Is there an admission fee?

Admission is charged only for the paid areas, such as the Honmaru (inner bailey) with Kita-no-kuruwa and the Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden. For the Honmaru and Kita-no-kuruwa, the Hirosaki City Greenery Association, which manages the park, says no admission is charged outside paid hours. The Botanical Garden is open 9:00-17:00 only (tickets sold until 16:30) and cannot be entered at night (Hirosaki's official tourism site, 2026 guidance). In 2026 each paid area cost 320 yen for adults and 100 yen for children, or 520 yen / 160 yen for a combined ticket (Hirosaki City Greenery Association and Hirosaki's official tourism site, checked 2026-10-11). Confirm the 2027 prices on the fee page of the Hirosaki City Greenery Association website.

How do I get there from Hirosaki Station?

Konan Bus local buses run from JR Hirosaki Station toward the park. Konan Bus and the festival traffic page of Hirosaki's official tourism site list routes such as Hirosaki Ekimae - (via Dotemachi) - Shiyakusho-mae (City Hall) as special festival-fare sections, and the Hirosaki City Greenery Association gives a 10-minute walk from the Shiyakusho-mae Koen-iriguchi stop (checked 2026-10-11). From the Shinkansen, change at Shin-Aomori Station to a conventional line; Hirosaki Station is about 25-40 minutes away (official tourism site). The area around the park gets very congested during the festival, and leaving the City Hall car park can take over an hour, so the tourism site asks visitors to use public transport or nearby car parks as needed. Check 2027 fares, timetables and journey times with Konan Bus and on the tourism site's festival traffic page.

What are the highlights, and when are the night illuminations?

Hirosaki's official tourism site lists hanaikada, or 'flower rafts', as one of its Seven Cherry Blossom Views of Hirosaki: fallen petals cover the outer moat, best from about 3 days after full bloom. The city's bloom records on that site show Somei Yoshino in full bloom on April 17-20, 2026 and hanaikada on April 20-23. During the 2026 festival, parts of the outer-moat banks that are normally closed (three spots from the East Gate to the courthouse) were opened as hanaikada photo spots. The illuminations normally run from sunset to 22:00; in 2026 they were extended to 23:00 for five days, April 15-19 (subject to change with the bloom). The paid Honmaru and Kita-no-kuruwa area was open 9:00-21:00 on April 17-30, 2026 and 9:00-17:00 on April 10-16 and May 1-5. Food stalls generally operate 9:00-21:00, with shorter hours late in the festival (all 2026 figures, checked 2026-10-11). The Mutsu Shimpo reports that stall hours will again be shortened in May 2027, so check the exact times on the official Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival page of the tourism site.