Hirosaki Castle Frame:Natural Wood A striking fusion of tradition

A striking fusion of tradition and modernity

rooted in tradition while anticipating modern design sensibilities

a UNESCO World Heritage site and an important center of Buddhist culture in northern Japan

and autumn grasses sway gently in the foreground

Hirosaki Castle Frame:Natural Wood A striking fusion of traditionby Yoshida Hiroshi The castle does not announce itself. It emerges slowly through a curtain of weeping cherry branches, pale walls and dark rooflines glimpsed between cascading blossoms: present but partially withheld, as if the season itself has chosen what to reveal. Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture is one of Japan's few remaining original castle structures, and one of the country's most celebrated hanami sites. The weeping cherry trees that