Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Getting around
Localbuses stop outside the station for destinations around town, including a "¥100 bus" which does a long loop between the station and the Sightseeing Information Centre outside the castle grounds; as its name suggests, it costs a flat ¥100 per trip. The best way to see the sights, however, is to take advantage of the town's free bicycle rental system. Between 9am and 4pm (June– Oct) you can pop into any one of the town's five bike stations, which are marked by a spoked wheel inside an apple (there's a kiosk in the underground passage in front of Hirosaki station; one opposite McDonald's beyond the New Rest Hotel; one on Dotemachi before the Hirosaki Grand Hotel as you come from the station; one at the Neputa Mura museum; and another at the Sightseeing Information Centre); you'll need to present ID to register. You can drop your bike off at any of the five stations when you're done.