The weather from Niigata to Akita was poxy!! Heavy downpours and freezing temperature. Nothing much to get out of the car for, except maybe a sake brewery…haha. Yes, discovered the rice grain called Yamada Nishiki, that’s considered premium for sake production. So, got a bottle of that, for consumption in Tokyo, after I hand back the car.

Today however was beautiful…sun shining, yay!

First stop, Hirosaki Castle, driving through the mountainous area of Hirakawa and Hira River before getting there.

Quite the windy road, with the first signs of glacial melt all around me.

Amazing view of Mt Iwaki from the freeway, the conical volcano in the distance.

If it only was cherry blossom time….I thought it would be…damn that extended winter season! Anyway, here we are, sans blossoms, and with reno’s being done to bridge and castle…..arhhhh! Good exercise but, 5,000 steps from carpark and return. Hirosoki Castle is a hirayama-style Japanese castle constructed in 1611 and reconstructed in 1810. With fortified petal-filled moats, castle gates, 2500 cherry trees, rental rowing boats and fortified turrets. It was the seat of the Tjsugaru clan and is in a park of 0.6 square kilometres. Lovely view of Mt Iwaki too. Enjoy the images…

Had to check out the Tsuru no Mai bridge, completed in 1994, which spans across the Tsugaru Fujimi Lake. Its the longest wooden bridge in Japan, triple arched and 300m long. The bridge is supposed to resemble a crane flying in the sky.