The museum is in a nice looking brick building that started life as a sake factory, then a cider one, and then a warehouse before finally being rebuilt as the museum. Also of note once I’m about to go inside the rain stops leaving me with a wet umbrella. Here they had lockable umbrella storage as well as plain racks for convenience store ones.

The English pamphlet for the museum is content free about the exhibition so here’s just some examples of the art in it.

This interesting sculpture is Reijiro Wada’s Amber Window (Hirosaki), and that’s apple brandy trapped between the glass panels.

There is also a library and study space which shows off the beautiful interior of the building.

This dog (NARA Yoshitomo’s A to Z Memorial Dog) is part of the permanent collection and is in the foyer before you reach the umbrella stands so you get to see it for free 🙂

From one of the windows I saw the towering pagoda of Kongozan Saisho-in and it became my next target, but first a little stroll along the Tsuchibuchi river.

Can’t say I like caging rivers like this.

One of the two “Nio” (Guardian Diety) guarding the New Niomon Gate. Saishoin is linked to the Year of the Rabbit diety (Udoshi Ichidaisama).

Inside the gate I was entertained by a photo shoot.

This is possibly the only time I regretted not having the Z8 as it could have captured a number of the frames as the woman assistant threw red leave at the child. Anyway they soon moved on and perhaps due to the activities in the Castle Park the temple grounds were largely free of people and very peaceful (with recordings of monks chanting competing with birdsong).

No photography allowed in the main hall, and no shoes, but I took a cheeky photo from the doorway while I was putting my shoes back on so here’s a hint of what it was like.

There’s always a story, and the question I’d start with is why is German in prime position (I’ve seen no other signs in German in 2.5 weeks in Japan) and it seems more intense than the others.

Statue of Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, again guarded with rabbits.

And yes I did ring the temple bell (on the right). Sadly the video is too huge for email.

The walk continued to the Hirosaki Neputa-no-Yakata museum. Along the way there were more photo opportunities.

If you’ve seen the photos taken in front of a Lawson’s near Mount Fuji you might understand why I needed to take this photo.

I didn’t visit this museum but the building caught my eye.

This seems a strange way to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the founding of the Lions Club in Hirosaki.

Finally I reached the Hirosaki Neputa-no-Yakata Museum. Neputa is a festival in the Aomori prefecture that involves a parade of large lanterns.

Outside you could feed the fish, until their ration had run out and they knew there were 2 bag left for purchase. I did not purchase them.

It was now 2:30pm and I spotted a boulangerie that was still open on a public holiday so …

And yes that is “Milk for Bread” and I could call it iced coffee. Having enjoyed this lot it was time to walk back to the hotel (about 2.5km away) as the phone battery was now complaining about 10% charge left and Apple/Google maps might be necessary.

Tomorrow I head to Shin-Aomori and hopefully visit the Sannai Maruyama Site.