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Urbanscape Lighting Feature Lighting

Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival 2021Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture

Fantastical illuminations for the nighttime scenery of Hirosaki Park, famed as one of the outstanding scenic sites for cherry blossom viewing in Japan

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  • An enchanting nightscape is created with the illuminated cherry blossoms reflected on the water of the central moat.

  • The light pink colors of the cherry blossoms lining the outer moat of the pursuit gate are brought to life by the LEDioc FLOOD NEO Vivid class 60, which excels in the vivid reproduction of colors.

  • The oldest Yoshino Cherry tree in Japan illuminated in the outer citadel which overlooks the tower of Hirosaki Castle, wowing visitors at night with its elegant appearance.

  • The Yaebeni-Shidare tree (Prunus Spachiana ‘Pleno-Rosea’) near the cedar bridge which spans the inner moat separating the outer citadel from the outermost region of the castle, is illuminated with LEDioc FLOOD NEO Vivid to create an elegant setting.

  • Installation arrangement of the high color saturation, high color rendering LED floodlight, LEDioc FLOOD NEO Vivid class 60.

  • Installation arrangement of the high efficiency, high output long life LED floodlight LEDioc FLOOD SPOLART.

  • The ‘cherry blossom tunnel’ of full bloom cherry blossoms lining both banks of the moat, viewed from Shunyo Bridge on the western moat.

about

Installation date

April, 2021(Held period:April 23 - May 5)

Location

Spanning an area of 492000m², the vast Hirosaki Park is home to the popular Hirosaki Castle, which is the only castle in north-eastern Japan to feature a tower; the park boasts numerous structures which have been designated as important cultural properties of Japan, including the castle tower, the turret, and the castle gates. Anointed as one of the ‘big three’ cherry blossom sites in Japan, it is famed across the country as one of the finest places to enjoy cherry blossom viewing. Taking place annually from late April through early May, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival boasts the blossoms of around 2600 trees from 50 varieties, with visitors able to enjoy views such as the ‘Cherry Blossom Tunnel’, and also the blossoming of the oldest Yoshino Cherry (Prunus Yeodensis) tree in Japan. In 2021 the festival returned for the first time in two years, with comprehensive measures in place to prevent against the spreading of Coronavirus infections; the festivities did however begin slightly earlier than usual in 2021 with a ‘pre-festival’ opening on April 17th, due to the flowering season this year commencing at the second earliest time since the inception of the event in 1947.

Operating with hours reduced from the usual schedule of dusk to 23:00, the special illuminations have created an enchanting nightscape in Hirosaki Park through highlighting the beautiful contrast of the gorgeous blossoms against the green of the old pine trees.The high saturation, high color rendering LEDioc FLOOD NEO Vivid which was selected as the main light source for the illuminations this year enabled the realization of a magical scene with its own beauty which differs from that of the daytime view, with the cherry blossoms appearing even more vivid thanks to the exceptional color reproduction capabilities of the LED floodlight. Combining with the imagery created by of the reflection of the cherry blossoms illuminated by the high efficiency, high output LED floodlight LEDioc FLOOD SPOLART on the waters of the castle moat, the result is a scene of astounding beauty which has been mesmerizing visitors.

In particular, the Shunyo Bridge on the western moat has proven to be a popular spot from where to view the illuminations, with visitors able to savor the spectacle of cherry blossoms running alongside the opposing banks of the curving moat. A key feature of the Cherry Blossoms in the park is that in the case of the Yoshino Cherry trees (Prunus Yeodensis) - some of which date back over 100 years - the number of flowers blossoming from each bud is a relatively high four to five per bud, which leads to their voluminous appearance. Unquestionably exquisite by day, these blossoms borne of the most thorough maintenance regime in Japan can now also be enjoyed by night thanks to the rich, warm scenery that has been created.

Specification

  • LEDioc FLOOD NEO Vivid

    class 70 (White type) - 5

    class 60 (Incandescent type) - 380

    class 80 (Incandescent type) - 15

  • LEDioc FLOOD SPOLART

    130W class (Neutral type) - 15

    210W class (Incandescent type) - 20

    210W class (Neutral type) - 48