So one of my first adventures outside of Misawa was to Hirosaki, a large city about 3 hours inland. By this time, I had met a group of single officers my age who love to explore. It is with this group that many of my adventures take place. It was a pleasant drive at the typical Japanese highway speed of 60 kph (about 40 mph) with mountain ranges still displaying the last drifts of winter snow. 
After making one stop at McDonalds Japanese style we found a parking spot and a group of 6 of us went to go exploring. This was my first experience in a large Japanese city so it was exciting to see so much hustle and bustle, shops, restaurants, etc! The Hirosaki Castle is very famous in this region and the garden grounds are home to many year-round festivals. It was constructed in the Hiro-yama style in 1611 by the Tokugawa sho-gun clan. (In Japanese history from 1192-1867, Japan intentionally isolated itself from the world and was governed by military leaders called shoguns).
I was very eager to see the Japanese Cherry Blossoms to compare them to the ones in D.C. We arrived towards the end of the season, so they were not at their peak, but they were still breathtaking! We took several photos, toured the castle, and walked the grounds.
Of course no Japanese festival is complete until you've tried some food! So in our adventerous spirits, we tried sake, squid, Aomori apples, and my favorite . . . OCTOPUS!! No, its really not my favorite. I found it quite tough, somewhat rubbery, and extremely unappetizing! Had to try it though!
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