Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary" which started in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history. Author of Shimane "Geography, Place Names and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha), My Town is "Japan's No. 1" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Understanding Prefectures through Neko Neko Nihonshi (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha). Official blogger of Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user of Retty, and official platinum blogger of Excite.
We will continue to walk around Hirosaki, a city with many tourist spots! Western-style buildings suddenly appear in the middle of Hirosaki. There are many Western-style buildings in residential areas and in the city center. You can look at them from the outside, spend some time relaxing inside, and some even have cafes and restaurants! We will take our time to look around the Western-style buildings that have been used since the Meiji period and have been warmly looked after by local residents up until now.
There are many elegant buildings and Western-style architecture here and there.
There was a feeling that there was no end to the things to see when walking around Hirosaki city. 1-2 hours is not enough. Even if you had half a day, you probably wouldn't be able to see everything.
In the town, there are beautiful Western-style buildings that look like they came out of the fairy tales you read as a child, creating an elegant atmosphere. Although these buildings are Western-style buildings, they are somehow mixed with Japanese architecture, and they blend in seamlessly with the Tohoku cityscape.
There are Western-style buildings designed by Sakichi Horie, who studied Western-style architecture, and a church designed by blacksmith Komagoro Sakuraba. In addition, modernist architecture by Kunio Maekawa, who studied architecture overseas and is a brilliant figure in the history of Japanese architecture, adds color to the modern cityscape and creates a unique landscape of Hirosaki.
The photos show the Aomori Bank Memorial Hall, the former Hirosaki City Library, the former To-o Gakushu Foreign Teachers' House, and Starbucks (the residence of the 8th Division Commander).
"Aomori Bank Memorial Hall (former 59th Bank Head Office Main Building)". It was moved from its current location, the current Aomori Bank Hirosaki Branch, next door, and is now preserved in its current location. It is a national important cultural property.
The floor you enter is an exhibition room, with banking-related materials and banknotes and coins from that time on display.
The staircase is made from Aomori-grown zelkova wood, and the windows have security bars, typical of a bank, which lends a delicate design to the entire building.
The winding staircase is made of heavy, dense zelkova wood and has a glossy amber color.
The taxi driver told me to look at the ceiling when I came here. It uses "Kinkarakawakami". I thought I had heard of it somewhere before, and it turned out I had. I had also seen this Kinkarakawakami at the "Former Iwasaki Residence" in Yushima, Tokyo. It is a high-quality wallpaper that takes a lot of time and effort to make.
This building is highly regarded as one of the greatest works of its designer, Sakichi Horie. It uses an abundance of luxurious materials to ensure spaciousness.
Plasterwork designs can be seen on the exterior and interior of the building, which was constructed using intricate techniques.
Perhaps a meeting would go smoothly in such an elegant space?
"Old Hirosaki City Library". When I first saw it, I thought it looked like a dollhouse! The building is symmetrical with a dome-shaped red roof, and the colors are very eye-catching. Apparently it was used as an apartment building before it was renovated and moved to its current location! The windows on the roof are "dormer windows". The name sounds like a palindrome. Admission is free.
There was a very impressive room in this old library: the Ladies Reading Room.
It is not clear where this women's reading room is, but perhaps it means that "boys and girls cannot sit together after the age of seven" or...
At the time, women wore kimonos, so it was difficult for them to climb the stairs to the general reading room on the second floor, which is why the women's reading room was built on the first floor. Either way, you can really feel the era!
Behind the old library, there are miniature replicas of many old buildings and Western-style houses in Hirosaki city, and they are also very elaborately made! It makes you feel like you have seen all of Hirosaki in one go.
There is also a Western-style building right next to the old library. The "Former To-o Gijuku Foreign Teachers' House" also has a cafe attached. It was the accommodation for foreign teachers invited to To-o Gijuku, which opened in 1872. The building you can see now was rebuilt after it burned down once.
The first floor is a cafe, and the second floor is a reproduction of the rooms from that time. Admission is free.
It's like the world of Anne of Green Gables! The interior instantly draws you into the world of European stories.
There is a wash basin in the room. It has a cute country style.
A hanging swing. There were many scenes that looked like something out of a fairy tale, and it was a spot visited by many women with cameras.
This is the former residence of the 8th Division Commander (Hirosaki Mayor's residence), currently a Starbucks Coffee. It is a nationally registered tangible cultural property located right in front of Hirosaki City Hall.
The ceiling shows that the building is still in its original form. It has been renovated into a stylish cafe, with the coffered ceiling intact. The Starbucks is divided into small rooms, which sets it apart from other Starbucks in the area.
This is "Ichinohe Watch Shop," which everyone I met in the local area said they had to check out. It is a watch shop founded in 1899. There is a clock on the roof of the shop, and a weather vane on top of it. The shop is still in business as a watch shop, and the clock tower on the roof was repaired a few years ago, and I heard that it still keeps accurate time. It is next to "Hirosaki Central Food Market."
A Catholic church with stained glass windows of apples and Tsugaru shamisen.
The Catholic Hirosaki Church was built in 1910. Although more than 100 years have passed since then, it does not feel old and has been carefully preserved, maintained, and used. The exterior is symmetrical, with a tower in the middle reaching high into the sky.
Once inside, you'll see a large wooden altar. Many of the old churches in Japan have been rebuilt with emphasis on fire resistance and earthquake resistance, so there are very few old church buildings and altars remaining.
The altar used here is historically valuable, and its design and the rarity of being made entirely of oak in a Gothic style make it a rare sight worldwide. Looking down, you can see the tatami mats. It's as if you're looking back at the time when Western religions were infiltrating Japan.
The stained glass was added during the Showa era. Among the glass depicting motifs based on the Bible and scenes from Bible stories, there was one window that made me think "Hmm...isn't this Mt. Iwaki?". Upon closer inspection, I could see that it also depicted a shamisen and apples. A mix of Japanese and Western elements can be seen here as well. There was also a Kogin-zashi cross at the entrance. Other windows shown in the photo are the Anglican Church in Japan Hirosaki Ascension Church and the United Church of Christ in Japan Hirosaki Church.
"Catholic Hirosaki Church." Next to it was a kindergarten, and across the street was a monastery. On the way there, this tower was visible even from the residential area, catching your eye.
At the entrance there is a kogin embroidery with a cross design.
When we went inside, it was amazing! There was an altar with intricate craftsmanship. The church was spacious with a high ceiling using pointed arches.
The floor is covered with tatami mats. The chairs are placed on top of the tatami mats, so your feet don't get cold. In the past, people may have received mass here while sitting upright.
I happened to look up at a stained glass window and saw Mt. Iwaki, apples, shamisen, skiing and baseball equipment, and a microscope. In the middle of the Hirosaki motif was a picture that evoked the idea of "sharing peace" and "forgiveness" in the Catholic world.
"Hirosaki Ascension Church". It is a red brick Church of England. It is close to Central Hirosaki Station, Ichinohe Watch Shop and Hirosaki Central Food Market.
The Church of the Ascension was also located in a miniature Western-style building behind the old Hirosaki Library. I placed my smartphone inside so you could see the size. What do you think?! The reproduction rate was amazing, and I was able to see the whole picture.
This is the real thing (laughs). A tower is made of bricks stacked like a wall, and a bell is placed inside. The sound of the bell echoes throughout the city of Hirosaki to announce the time for morning and evening worship services.
"The United Church of Christ in Japan Hirosaki Church". There are many churches in the old buildings of the city of Hirosaki. You can feel that Hirosaki has actively adopted different cultures and coexisted with foreign cultures. This shape reminds me of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris!
The rectory is decorated with carvings of lilies and grapes.
Semicircular arch and pointed windows.
The interior is simple and not extravagant. If you look closely, you will see that sliding doors are used, creating a mix of Japanese and Western styles. This year marks the 111th year since the building was built, making it the oldest Protestant church in the Tohoku region.
You can also enjoy modern architecture in Hirosaki. Enjoy blue soda at the "Hirosaki Civic Hall/Coffee House Baton" and soul food at "Hirosaki Chusan."
Kunio Maekawa, a disciple of the master of modern architecture Le Corbusier, who designed many public buildings throughout Japan, left behind many buildings in Hirosaki, where his mother was from. In fact, the auditorium of the "Kunitachi College of Music" in Tachikawa, Tokyo, where I graduated, was also designed by Kunio Maekawa, so I was really looking forward to visiting the "Hirosaki Civic Hall" this time. It's rare for me to stop by a city's civic hall when I'm traveling.
However, Hirosaki Civic Hall is a sight to behold for tourists as it is a spot where you can see modern and orderly design. It is made of concrete, which was popular at the time as it was functional and rational. The grey color and cool air calmed my hectic traveling mind and helped me regain a sense of calm.
The soda jelly "Blue Time Punch" at the floating cafe "Kissashitsu Baton" was fizzy and refreshing. In the center of the town is the local department store "Hirosaki Chusan". The futuristic building was designed by Mozuna Kikko. If you don't know, you will be captivated by the striking shape of the building.
Nakasan Department Store has a miso ramen called "Nakamiso," which is considered Hirosaki's soul food. The soup, which is flavored with garlic and ginger, is rich and sweet. However, the unique flavor combination is addictive, and you'll want to eat it again and again. Even tourists who have just arrived in the city can find themselves in a delicious, comfortable, artistic place and experience the space. That is one of the charms of Hirosaki.
"Hirosaki Civic Hall". It is located in a corner of Hirosaki Park where Hirosaki Castle is located. Designed by Kunio Maekawa, it has a distinctive exposed concrete design. The stained glass work is titled "Blue Time" and was completed in 2014 by Hirosaki native, Nui Sano.
On the second floor of the Civic Hall is a cafe that seems to be floating in the air, called "Cafe Baton."
Cafe meals and pancakes are popular. The menu "Five-Color Jelly Punch Blue Time" was created to coincide with the unveiling ceremony of the stained glass "Blue Time".
In addition to the five colors, clear jelly wobbles in the fizzy cider. You can experience the flavors of Aomori, such as apples from Hirosaki, peaches from Hirakawa, blackcurrants from Namioka, and Stuben grapes from Tsurutamachi!
If you like architecture, you should definitely go! The coolness of the concrete makes this a pleasant space.
Hirosaki's department store "Chusan." On the rooftop there is a monument that looks like it is supporting the sky.
Miso ramen in the basement of Nakasan. The name of the restaurant, "Nakamiso," was a nickname given to it by the locals. It's full of vegetables.
This size is small. The rich miso has a sweetness to it, but it is very well balanced. On this day, people of all ages and genders were savoring the taste.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
