The castle town in north west Honshu was once the leding cultural center of Tohoku. Hirosaki was spared from destruction during the WWII and has some nice old houses. The castle was hit by the lightning but the main layout can be seen in Hirosaki-koen. One of the corner towers was rebuilt in 1810 and houses a small museum. Zenrin-gai is a temple district in the city with an old japan atmosphere.