At the heart of Hirosaki-kōen lie the ancient remains of this castle, originally constructed in 1611. Rather tragically, only 16 years after it was built, the castle was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground. Two centuries on, one of the corner towers was rebuilt and today it has a small museum housing samurai weaponry.
Even if you missed the festival, you can still gawk at the awesome craftsmanship of the Nebuta floats displayed at this new museum on the waterfront. On weekends there are performances of dancing and drumming as well.
Come here to see some of Hirosaki's Neputa floats and try your hand at the giant taiko (drums). There are also exhibitions of local crafts. It's a short walk from the Bunka Center stop on the Dote-machi Loop Bus.
