Hirosaki Castle Background . Hirosaki Castle measures 612 meters east - west and 947 meters north - south . Its grounds are divided into six concentric bailey s , which were formerly walled and separated by moat s . It is unusual in that its Edo period donjon and most of its outline remains intact . Noted historian and author Shiba Ryōtarō praised it as one of the " Seven Famous Castles of Japan " in his travel essay series " Kaidō wo Yuku " . History . During the late Sengoku period , former Nambu retainer Ōura Tamenobu was awarded revenues of 45 , 000 " koku " by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for his role in the Battle of Odawara in 1590 . He took the family name of Tsugaru at that time . At the Battle of Sekigahara , he sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu and was subsequently confirmed as lord of Hirosaki Domain with revenues increased to 47 , 000 " koku " . In 1603 , he began work on a castle in Hirosaki ; however , work was suspended with his death in Kyoto in 1604 . Work was resumed by his successor , Tsugaru Nobuhira in 1609 , who stripped Horikoshi Castle and Ōura Castle of buildings and materials in order to speed its completion . The new castle was completed in 1611 . However , in 1627 , the main keep , which was originally a 6 - story , 5 - roof structure was struck by lightning and exploded when the fire reached its gunpowder magazine . It was not rebuilt until 1810 , when the present 3 - story structure was erected by the 9th daimyō , Tsugaru Yasuchika . With the Meiji Restoration and subsequent abolition of the han system , the Tsugaru clan surrendered the castle to the new Meiji government . In 1871 , the castle was garrisoned by a detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army , and in 1873 the palace structures , martial arts school and most of the castle walls were pulled down . In 1894 , the castle properties were donated by the Tsugaru clan to the government for use as a park , which opened to the general public the following year . In 1898 , an armory was established in the former Third Bailey by the IJA 8th Division . In 1906 , two of the remaining yagura burned down . In 1909 , a four - meter tall bronze statue of Tsugaru Tamenobu was erected on the site of the donjon . In 1937 , eight structures of the castle received protection from the government as “ national treasures ” . However , in 1944 , during the height of World War II , all of the bronze in the castle , including roof tiles and decorations , were stripped away for use in the war effort . In 1950 , under the new cultural properties protection system , all surviving structures in the castle ( with the exception of the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey ) were named National Important Cultural Properties . In 1952 , the grounds received further protection with their nomination as a National Historic Site . In 1953 , after reconstruction , the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey also gained ICP status , giving a total of nine structures within the castle with such protection . Extensive archaeological excavations from 1999 - 2000 revealed the foundations of the former palace structures and a Shinto shrine . In 2006 , Hirosaki Castle was listed as one of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan by the Japan Castle Foundation . Structures and gardens . The current donjon of the castle was completed in 1811 . It is a three - story building with three roofs , and a height of 14 . 4 meters . The design is smaller than early Edo - period varieties of donjons , and it was built on a corner of the inner bailey on the site of a " yagura " , rather than the stone base of the original donjon . The small size was partly due to the restricted finances of the domain towards the end of the Edo period , but its location and design were also intended to alleviate concerns which might be raised by the Tokugawa shogunate should a larger structure be built . At present , it is a separate standing structure ; however , prior to 1896 it had an attached gatehouse . The donjon is surrounded by three surviving " yagura " from the Edo period ( the Ninomaru Tatsumi Yagura , Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura , Ninomaru Ushitora Yagura ) , on its second bailey , and five surviving gates ( Sannomaru Ōtemon Gate , Sannomaru East Gate , Ninomaru South Gate , Ninomaru East Gate , Kitanokuruwa North Gate ) in the walls of its second and third baileys . All of these structures , including the donjon itself , are National Important Cultural Properties . The surrounding Hirosaki Park around the castle grounds is one of Japan ' s most famous cherry blossom spots . Over a million people enjoy the park ' s 2600 trees ( which were originally planted around in grounds in 1903 ) during the " sakura matsuri " ( cherry blossom festival ) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom , usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April and beginning of May . Festival . Hirosaki city holds an annual winter four day " Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival " . The festival had attracted 310 , 000 visitors in 1999 and included 165 standing snow lanterns and 300 mini snow caves .