The Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Foliage Festival opened on November 1st at Hirosaki Park (Shimoshirogane-cho, Hirosaki City).

The event will be held in the main venue of the Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden in the park, where you can enjoy stage events and the colorful 1,000 maple trees and 2,600 cherry trees. The main symbol of this year is a 30-meter wide flower art piece called "Saijungenbu." At night, the leaves will be lit up and projection mapping will be used.

As a first initiative this year, a bonfire area called "Yuru Bonfire and Outdoor Play Garden" will be set up near the North Information Center of Hirosaki Kami Botanical Garden. This is the first time that an event using live fire will be held in Hirosaki Park, which is also designated as a national historic site. During the event, a bonfire space will be set up so that people can actually gather around the fire.

Until November 4th, there will be a "Gentle Bonfire and Outdoor Play Day" with fire-making workshops, handicraft experiences, and stalls offering craft beer, coffee, etc. There will also be a hunting experience with "Gibier Tsugaru," a licensed hunter training organization.

According to an announcement by Hirosaki City on November 1, the maple and cherry trees in the park are at their best when they turn red, and the ginkgo leaves are starting to turn yellow. The best viewing time for the whole park is expected to be around November 5.

The event hours are: Autumn leaves illumination = 16:00-21:00, projection mapping = 17:30-19:30, bonfire and outdoor play garden = 16:30-19:30. The admission fee to Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden is 320 yen for high school students and above, 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Until November 10th.