Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival 2027: 51st Edition Expected Early February

The 51st Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival is expected in the first half of February 2027 (2026 dates: Feb 6-11; official 2027 announcement from Hirosaki City Tourism typically arrives in mid-November). We will update the exact dates the moment they are published.

Hirosaki's festival is distinct from Sapporo's. Instead of giant sculptures, Hirosaki Park gets covered in roughly 150 larger yuki-doro snow lanterns and more than 300 miniature mini-kamakura glowing with candles. The castle keep itself is lit from the moat side.

What makes it photogenic

Hirosaki Park has over 2,500 cherry trees - the same trees that produce the famous April bloom. In February they are leafless and often snow-laden, and they frame the castle in a way that no other winter location in Japan replicates. If you have seen the Hirosaki cherry blossoms shot and want the matching winter version, this is where it is taken.

Expected schedule (based on 2026)

• ●Dates: early February 2027 (announcement due mid-November)
• ●Hours: 09:00 - 21:00 (lanterns lit from ~16:30)
• ●Admission to the main park: free
• ●Inner castle keep entry: around ¥320

Access and lodging

• ●Hirosaki Station (JR Ou line) - 15 min bus or 30 min walk
• ●From Tokyo: Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori, change for Hirosaki (3h40 total)
• ●Lodging: book Hirosaki first; otherwise Aomori City (40 min train)

Pack for serious cold - Hirosaki routinely drops below -5C after dark during the festival, and most of the lantern walk is open-air. Boots with grip are not optional; the park paths are compacted snow by February.

The 50th anniversary edition in 2026 drew the largest attendance since the pandemic. The 51st is expected to continue the extended evening-light schedule introduced that year.