🐦 Through Samurai History and Living Culture: A 16km Ptarmigan in Hirosaki 🐦
Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture, nestled on the fertile Tsugaru Plain with views of Mount Iwaki, is a premier cultural destination that flourished as the castle town of the Tsugaru clan. This 16km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), tracing a grand loop through the historic downtown starting around the majestic Hirosaki Park, home to an original surviving castle keep.
The cultural trek begins within the park’s scenic grounds, passing the Hirosaki City Museum, the Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden, and the solemn Aomori-ken Gokoku Shrine. Stepping into the former castle town, the route guides you past the vibrant Tsugaru-han Neputa-mura Village and the Hirosaki Cultural Center. As you shape the bird’s silhouette, you will discover the Renaissance-style Aomori Bank Memorial Museum and the contemporary Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, housed in a renovated brick warehouse. The trail seamlessly weaves past the Former Iwata Family Residence, the historic Tomita no Shitsuko Spring Water, and sacred spiritual landmarks like Saishōin Temple and Hirosaki Shinmeigu Shrine.
The Ptarmigan is an Ice Age relic and a sacred alpine bird. Etching this majestic mountain icon across Hirosaki’s flat, historical grid offers a playful and poetic contrast. This 16km loop is an invigorating distance for runners. By the time the digital bird takes flight on your smartphone screen, you will have experienced the rich legacy and living traditions of Tsugaru with every step.
TOURISTS SPOT
- Hirosaki Park
- Hirosaki Castle Botanical Garden
- Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art
- Aomori Bank Memorial Museum
- Tsugaru-han Neputa-mura Village
- Hirosaki City Museum
- Hirosaki Cultural Center
- Tomita no Shitsuko Spring Water
- Former Iwata Family Residence
- Saishōin Temple
- Hirosaki Shinmeigu Shrine
- Aomori-ken Gokoku Shrine
RESTAURANTS
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
