Getting Around Hirosaki
Hirosaki is a former castle town and the main city and transport hub of southwestern Aomori Prefecture. It is fairly spread out, so while the historic core around Hirosaki Castle is pleasant on foot, you will likely need to use buses or trains to reach the wider city and surrounding sights affordably. Most transport lines radiate from JR Hirosaki Station, which makes the station the natural anchor for your day.
Rail
Hirosaki sits on the JR Ōu Main Line, which connects it with Aomori, Akita and Fukushima, so the train is the simplest way to arrive from elsewhere in the region. From Tokyo, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori, then change to the Tsugaru Limited Express or a local Ōu Main Line train bound for Akita or Ōdate. If you are coming from Akita, the Tsugaru train is far quicker than the scenic alternatives unless you specifically want the coastal views. Foreign visitors travelling from Tokyo are usually better off with a JR East Rail Pass or the national Japan Rail Pass, which covers these trains.
Two private Kōnan Railway lines also serve the city: the Kōnan Line and the Ōwani Line. These are useful for reaching suburban and outlying parts of Hirosaki that the JR line does not cover.
Trams and Metro
Hirosaki has no tram or metro network. Getting around without a car means relying on the rail lines above plus the local bus system.
Buses
Buses are the main way to move around the city affordably, and most lines radiate from JR Hirosaki Station. The principal operator in the area is Kōnan Bus, and Suica and other IC cards are accepted on local buses — worth knowing, since paying by IC card can be cheaper than cash on some services.
For sightseeing, the Dotemachi Loop Bus is the most convenient option. It is a sightseeing loop operated by Kōnan Bus that runs every ten minutes: from 10:00 to 18:00 between April and November, and from 10:00 to 17:00 between December and March. You can board it at the Hirosaki Bus Terminal (stop No. 8) or at JR Hirosaki Station's Central Exit (stop D100). Single rides cost slightly less with an IC card than in cash, and a one-day ticket gives unlimited rides on the day of purchase on both the Dotemachi Loop Bus and the Jōtō Loop Bus (Ōmachi and Wattoku routes). Note that the one-day ticket can only be paid for by IC card, so have one ready if you plan to hop on and off.
For longer journeys, highway buses connect Tokyo with Hirosaki, running both during the day and overnight.
Walking
The castle-town core is the most rewarding part of Hirosaki to explore on foot, centred on Hirosaki Castle and its surrounding park, with the Fujita Memorial Japanese Garden, the Nakamachi Samurai Houses and other historic sights nearby. During the Cherry Blossom Festival you can even hire rowing boats at the outer moat of Hirosaki Park. Beyond this compact historic area, however, the city spreads out, so expect to combine walking with buses or trains for anything farther afield.
Getting In from the Airport
The closest airport to Hirosaki is Aomori Airport (AOJ). Flights from Tokyo take around an hour and twenty minutes, and an airport bus connects the airport to Hirosaki in roughly an hour. If you would rather stay on the rails, Shin-Aomori Station is the last stop on the Tohoku Shinkansen (with connections to the Hokkaido Shinkansen), and a local train from Shin-Aomori to Hirosaki takes about half an hour to forty minutes. The Japan Rail Pass covers all of these trains.