Just south of the unassuming Hirosaki Castle sits Fujita Memorial Garden, a tiered Japanese garden featuring an upper and lower garden. Fujita Memorial Garden serves as an oasis in the middle of the city, with natives and visitors coming here for a casual stroll and a break from modern life.

Created by Fujita Kenichi in 1919, the Fujita Memorial Garden was initially attached to the Western-style house at the entrance of the upper garden where Fujita lived. A local, prosperous businessman, his success was mirrored in his garden, which stands near the city centre today.

While the upper garden focuses on the house, the lower garden hosts a beautiful, traditional Japanese tea house for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. A stream runs through both gardens, transferring water from one level to another via a waterfall. There is also a vermillion bridge near this waterfall, leading to some gorgeous photos.

At the entrance/exit to the lower garden, there is a small building where they take your ticket but also sell iced lollies. These are frozen gelatin filled with locally grown fruit. Hirosaki is most known for its apples, so I had an apple one. It was delicious!

Getting to Fujita Memorial Garden and Entrance

Getting there is simple. From Hirosaki Station, you can take a couple of buses to the city’s central area with the castle. These include numbers 1, 30, 40, 43, 19, 181, and 603, to name a few. Google Maps is convenient for searching public transport timetables and getting directions in Hirosaki.

To enter, you can pay the ¥300 entrance fee or buy a combined ticket with Hirosaki Castle and Hirosaki Botanical Garden (located just lightly northwest of Fujita Memorial Garden – less than 5 minutes walking). The combined ticket is ¥520. All places cost ¥300 each, so entering two means you have already saved some money.

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