Hirosaki, the youngest of the 12 surviving Japanese castles

On my way towards Northern Japan, I couldn't have missed Hirosaki and the Hirosaki Castle, one of the 12 Japanese castles still in their original condition, the 7th on my list, after Hikone, Matsumoto, Inuyama, Maruoka, Kochi and Marugame.

Hirosaki-jō was last time rebuilt in 1810, which makes it one of the "youngest" of the 12 castles. Here it is, in all its splendor, photographed during one of the most beautiful moments of the year, with a fall scenery harmonized with the nearby red bridge...