Hirosaki, Aomori
Hirosaki, Aomori
| Hirosaki 弘前市 |
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 Hirosaki
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| Coordinates: 40°36′N 140°28′E / 40.6°N 140.467°ECoordinates: 40°36′N 140°28′E / 40.6°N 140.467°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Aomori | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Noriyuki Kasai (since April 2010) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 524.12 km2 (202.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (October 1, 2009) | |||
| - Total | 182,966 | ||
| - Density | 349/km2 (903.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City symbols | |||
| - Tree | Apple tree | ||
| - Flower | Cherry Blossom | ||
| Phone number | 0172-35-1111 | ||
| Address | 1-1 Kamishirogane-machi, Hirosaki-shi, Aomori-ken 036-8551 |
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| Website | City of Hirosaki | ||
Hirosaki (弘前市 Hirosaki-shi) is a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan. The city government has been promoting the catchphrase "Apple Colored Town Hirosaki", and "Castle and Cherry Blossom and Apple Town" to promote the city image.
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Geography
Hirosaki is located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, in the Tsugaru plains in the souther Tsugaru Peninsula, south of Mount Iwaki and bordering on Akita Prefecture
Climate
Hirosaki has short, hot and humid summers, and heavy snow fall during winters.
Neighbouring municipalities
- Tsugaru, Hirakawa
- Nakatsugaru District – Nishimeya
- Minamitsugaru District – Ōwani, Fujisaki, Inakadate
- Kitatsugaru District – Itayanagi, Tsuruta
- Nishitsugaru District – Ajigasawa
- Ōdate, Akita
City emblem
Hirosaki uses the manji (swastica) as official emblem. This came from the flag emblem of Tsugaru clan,the lord of Hirosaki Domain in Edo era.
History
The area around Hirosaki was part of the domains of the Northern Fujiwara in the Heian period, and were awarded to the Nambu clan by Minamoto Yoritomo after the defeat of the Northern Fujiwara in the early Kamakura period. During the Sengoku period, a local retainer of the Nambu, Ōura Tamenobu declared his independence in 1571, and seized local castles. He assisted Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Odawara in 1590, and was confirmed in his holdings with revenues of 45,000 koku. He also changed his name to Tsugaru. After siding with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, his revenues increased to 47,000 koku and he began construction of a castle in Takaoka (present day Hirosaki). The castle was completed in 1611 by his successor, Tsugaru Nobuhira, but its massive 5-story donjon was lost to lightning in 1627. The domain’s revenues increased to 100,000 koku in 1628. In 1808, Takaoka was renamed Hirosaki. The Tsugaru clan sided with the Satchō Alliance in the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, and was rewarded by the new Meiji government with an additional 10,000 koku. However, with the abolition of the han system on August 29, 1871, Hirosaki Domain was abolished, and replaced by Hirosaki Prefecture. The Prefecture was renamed Aomori Prefecture in October of the same year, and the prefectural capital was relocated to the more centrally located Aomori.
Chōyō Elementary School was established on October 1, 1873. Apple horticulture was introduced to Hirosaki from 1877 and the 59th National Bank, the predecessor of Aomori Bank opened in March 1878. Hirosaki was proclaimed a city on April 1, 1889 and was thus one of the first 30 cities in Japan. The Ōu Main Line connected Hirosaki with Aomori on December 1, 1894.
Hirosaki became the home garrison town for the Imperial Japanese Army’s IJA 8th Division from October, 1898. The division was prominently active in the Russo-Japanese War.
Hirosaki City Hospital was established in 1901, and Hirosaki City Library in 1906. The first telephone service in the city stated from 1909. The first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in 1918. In 1927, the Kōnan Railway connected Hirosaki with Onoe. Hirosaki University was established in 1949.
On March 1, 1955 Hirosaki expanded through annexation of neighboring villages of Shimizu, Wattoku, Toyoda, Horikoshi, Chitose, Fujishiro, Niina, Funazawa, Takasugi, Susono, and Higashimeya. Nishimeya became an enclave. The city further expanded on September 1, 1957 through annexation of neighboring Ishikawa village. The First Chrysanthemum and Maple Festival was held in 1964 and the First Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival in 1977. In 1979, the city was connected to the Tōhoku Expressway by a spur road named “Apple Road”.
On November 15, 2006, Hirosaki merged with the neighboring town of Iwaki and village of Sōma-mura
Economy
- Hirosaki is the regional commercial center for southwest Aomori prefecture. The main agricultural crops include apples and rice, with Hirosaki accounting for 20% of the total production of apples in Japan.
Culture
Hirosaki is known for its tradition of Tsugaru-jamisen, a virtuosic style of shamisen playing.
Education
- Hirosaki University
- Tohoku Women's College
- Hirosaki Gakuin University
Transportation
Railways
- East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line
- Ishikawa, Hirosaki, Naijōshi, Daishaka, Namioka
- Kōnan Railway Company - Kōnan Line
- Hirosaki, Hirosaki-Higashikōmae, Undōkōenmae, Nisato,
- Kōnan Railway Company - Ōwani Line
- Chūō-Hirosaki, Hirokōshita, Hirosaki Gakuindai-mae,Seiaichūkō-mae, Chitose, Koguriyama, Matsukitai, Tsugaru-Ōsawa, Gijukukōkōmae, Ishikawa, Ishikawa-Poolmae
Highways
- Tōhoku Expressway
- Japan National Route 7
- Japan National Route 102
Tourist attractions
Hirosaki is known for its Cherry Blossom Festival held in the park surrounding Hirosaki Castle. About 2,600 Sakura (Japanese cherry) blossom during the Japanese Golden Week vacation period. The Hirosaki Neputa Festival is held during the first week of August and is one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. The town is also noted for a large number of western-style buildings dating to the Meiji period.
- Hirosaki Castle
- Nakamachi Bukeyashiki
- Chosho-ji Temple
- Saisho-in Temple
Noted people from Hirosaki
- Masakatsu Funaki – professional wrestler
- Hisashi Tonomura - musician
- Iwakiyama Ryūta – sumo wrestler
- Yōjirō Ishizaka – writer
- Shunsuke Kikuchi – composer
- Norio Kudo – professional go player
- Mitsuyo Maeda - judoka
- Juji Nakada – evangelist
- Yoshitomo Nara – manga artist
- Takanohana Kenshi – sumo wrestler
- Shuji Terayama – modern artist
- Wakanohana Kanji I – sumo wrestler
- Wakanosato Shinobu – sumo wrestler
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Aomori Prefecture