Hirosaki Castle - Canvas Hakubunkan each rendered with unique patterns

each rendered with unique patterns of rich red

with the dragon's serpentine form contrasting against the eternal

Rendered as a woodblock print

A whimsical fusion of Japanese folklore and artistic playfulness

azaleas are associated with seasonal transition

Hirosaki Castle - Canvas Hakubunkan each rendered with unique patternsby 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