Hirosaki Castle is one of Japan's 12 original castles. The main tower of the complex is still in its original state. In this photo, the castle is not in its original spot because the corner it normally stands on was being restored.
The castle was built in 1611 by the Tsugaru family, rulers of the Tsugaru province of the same name. The land of the Tsugaru family covered the western part of present-day Aomori with Hirosaki as the provincial capital.
Originally, the main castle building had five floors. Due to lightning strikes, it was destroyed and only later rebuilt. This time with three floors.
Hirosaki Castle was one of few to survive the Meiji restoration. During this period, centuries of military rule over Japan came to an end and the emperor was reinstalled as the country's leader. In the process, the samurai castles were seen as an eyesore. Many of the castles were then demolished.
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