Samurai City Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu in western Fukushima Prefecture was regarded as one of the last strongholds of samurai culture when Japan made the transition from the feudal Edo period (1603-1868) under the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji period and restoration of imperial rule.

Its strategic location in southern Tohoku saw Aizuwakamatsu flourish as a political and military center with a rich samurai history stretching back over 1,000 years. It has served as the seat of power for some of Japan’s most celebrated samurai warriors.

Today the local people of Aizuwakamatsu are proud of their samurai heritage and traditional culture which has seen a revival after the dark days of the Boshin Civil War (1868-1869) and the fall of the Aizu clan.

In the first part of this three-part series on Aizuwakamatsu, we will be exploring the samurai city and its connections to its samurai past.

Tsuruga Castle

Tsuruga Castle, also called Aizuwakamatsu Castle was the seat of power of Aizu Domain and the last stand for the samurai of Aizu during the Battle of Aizu in the Boshin War.

The Boshin War was a civil war fought between forces still loyal to the shogun and the new Meiji government which had returned power to the imperial court.

Tsuruga Castle, which was built in 1593 by Gamo Ujisato (1556-1595) was said to be impregnable with no blind angles and it certainly lived up to this during the Battle of Aizu in 1868 when it was attacked by imperial forces.

Tsuruga Castle

The Aizu clan, loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate fought bravely against all odds to defend the castle against superior numbers in a month-long siege. Despite defeat and being bombarded by 50 imperial cannons, Tsuruga Castle withstood the attack and remained standing. On November 6, 1868 the castle was finally surrendered by Matsudaira Katamori (Lord of the Aizu clan), bringing about the end to the Battle of Aizu. 

Original Stone Wall at Tsuruga Castle

A great story that sums up the spirit and dedication of Aizu clan samurai is the belfry at Tsuruga Castle. The bell in the belfry was struck to announce the correct time to the people of the castle town. During the Battle of Aizu, it was targeted by imperial cannons but even under heavy cannon fire it did not stop ringing the correct time to the locals until the end of the war.

Tsuruga Castle from near the Belfry

Unfortunately, the castle was demolished by the new Meiji-era government in 1874 who left only the stone walls and surrounding perimeters in place. The current main keep is a reconstruction that was completed in 1965. The castle is famous for having the only aka-kawara red roof tiles in all of Japan.

Main Keep of Tsuruga Castle

Iimoriyama

Iimoriyama is a small hill near Tsuruga Castle that is famous for being the site where a group of twenty young Aizu clan samurai, members of the Byakkotai (White Tiger Unit) committed seppuku (ritual suicide).

Iimoriyama

 

The young 16 and 17 year old samurai who were fighting in the Boshin War against imperial forces became separated from the rest of their unit during the Battle of Aizu. They knew Iimoriyama well since it was close to where they lived, so retreated there to regroup. From the hill they saw what they thought was Tsuruga Castle engulfed in flames and believing the battle to be lost, committed seppuku. What they didn’t know was that the castle had not actually been taken and it was the surrounding buildings that were ablaze.

One of the samurai, Iinuma Sadakichi, who was the youngest member of the group, hadn’t received the training on seppuku, so was not successful in his suicide attempt and actually survived to eventually tell the story of the group to Aizu.  

Memorial to the Fallen Aizu Clan  Members

  

The heartbreaking story of these brave samurai is still talked about today by the locals. The story of their loyalty and devotion has become well known all around the world, with numerous movies and manga being made of their brave tale.

The graves of the 19 Byakkotai who died at that time stand in line in a memorial on the west-facing slope of Iimoriyama. The memorial site features tributes and gifts to honour the brave Byakkotai sent from all over the world.

The Graves of the 19 Byakkotai

Aizu Clan Samurai School Nisshinkan

The Aizu Clan Samurai School Nisshinkan was established by the Aizu clan in 1803 to educate the children of Aizu clan samurai. It was originally located west of Tsuruga Castle but was destroyed during the Boshin War.

The current site is a reconstruction built in 1987 in a different area from the original. It is no longer a school for the samurai but a museum showcasing what a school for samurai of the late Edo period (1603-1868) would have looked like.

The Entrance to Nisshinkan

In its day, the school was regarded as one of the best of over 300 Edo period clan schools, producing samurai warriors that graduated with an all-round education in Confucian studies as well as the martial arts. Subjects taught at the school included reading, Chinese classics, calligraphy and astronomy. 

Samurai Students Studying Reading at Nisshinkan

The swimming pond at the school is the first swimming pool in Japan. It was one of only two clan swimming pools in Japan at the time and was used by students to practice swimming while wearing armour.

Japan's First Swimming Pool at Nisshinkan

The school was famous for its size at 6.5 acres and educational materials. Students entered the Nisshinkan at the age of 10 and were split into neighbourhood groups, so that younger students could learn from their seniors.

Near the entrance, you can find a list of rules on display that samurai students had to learn before entering the school.

The School Rules

Gekimon Gate at Nisshinkan

During my visit, I was able to experience zazen (Zen meditation) and kyudo (Japanese martial art of archery) using bow and arrows that were the same size as the ones used by the samurai.

Zazen at Nisshinkan

We were also fortunate to see a demonstration of sword sharpening and polishing in one of the martial art halls. The master artisan is one of only two in Fukushima and expertly guided us through the technique needed to keep samurai swords beautiful and sharp.

Sword Sharpening and Polishing by a Master Artisan

 

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at Aizuwakamatsu’s samurai past, and please stay tuned for part 2 where we will explore the traditional culture and crafts of Aizuwakamatsu. 

 

 

Kyoto Shinjo Castle

A great discovery was made this week in Kyoto with archeologists uncovering the remains of Kyoto Shinjo Castle (new Kyoto Castle) for the first time.

Kyoto Shinjo Castle was constructed in 1597 by samurai warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), one of the three great unifiers of Japan. It was the last castle he built before his death in 1598.

Researchers conducting excavation work unearthed stones walls and a moat belonging to the castle on the grounds of the Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace on May 12.

The castle was known to have existed due to it being mentioned in written documents, but no physical trace of it had been found until now. The techniques used to construct the castle wall will provide some good insight into the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1600) of Japanese castles. 

Excavated stones walls from Kyoto Shinjo | Image: The Mainichi

Kyoto Shinjo Castle was destroyed in 1600 just before the greatest samurai battle in history at Sekigahara, which decided that fate of Japan for the next 260 years. Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace was constructed over its remains in 1627 as the retirement home for Emperor Go Mizuno after his abdication.

Stone wall at Kyoto Shinjo Castle | Image: The Asahi Shimbun

The castle was built close to the Imperial Palace to cement the Toyotomi court rank of Chancellor of the Realm and Imperial Regent “kanpaku” (chief advisor to the emperor). Hideyoshi ruled Japan in all but name and most likely built the castle, so that his infant son, Hideyori (1593-1615) could succeed his titles upon his death.

Hideyoshi was worried about other daimyo (feudal lords), especially Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) gaining control of the country after his death.

It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with this amazing new discovery.

Screen Painting of Kyoto Shinjo Castle | Image: The Asahi Shimbun

TABICA: A Day with a Bushido Master

Are you looking for a truly unique Japanese experience? If you answered ‘yes’, then I have just the tour for you. TABICA is a Japanese tour company established in 2015 with the vision of “connecting people by trips”. They offer fun and unique cultural experiences that allow you to “dive into the life of locals” and experience the real Japan. Each tour is accompanied by an English interpreter, who helps break down the language barriers between foreign tourists and Japanese local hosts, who are monks, geisha, farmers, chefs, bushido masters and many more.

Some of the many tours on offer include; a day with a Buddhist monk at a temple, a day with a bushido (Japanese sword) master at a dojo, a day working with organic farmers, and a day with a soba making master. The tours are located at various places around Tokyo, all within one hour of the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo

I was recently invited along to participate in their “A Day with a Bushido Master” tour, which I accepted with open arms as a huge samurai culture and history fan.

After a brisk 90 minute ride on the Nozomi Shinkansen (bullet train) from Gifu, I arrived in Tokyo, where I made my way to the TABICA office located just off the famous Takeshita-dori street in Harajuku, Tokyo.

Takeshita-dori Street in Harajuku

The TABICA staff is available to meet you at their office, or in front of Harajuku Station. The tour heads off as a group with an English speaking interpreter, who is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the subject matter leading the way. They also speak excellent English which is a big relief especially if you can’t speak a lot of Japanese, or are new to Japan, as a first-time visitor.

We arrived at the dojo (training hall) located near Kudanshita Station on the purple Hanzomon Metro line in the early afternoon. The dojo is located on the second floor of an old building and is full of authentic samurai armour, swords, tsuba (samurai sword guards) and pictures. The oldest piece of samurai armour dates from the 17th century and once belonged to a famous samurai in the Kanto region of Japan.

Samurai Armour from the 17th Century

First, we get dressed in our traditional Japanese clothing, which is called keikogi (稽古着) and is the uniform used in martial arts or bushido training. It includes a hakama (袴), the clothing of a samurai, gi (着) and obi (帯). This isn’t as easy as it sounds and actually takes a little bit of work with all instructors on hand to help get us dressed appropriately. You certainly feel the part if not look it in these traditional bushido clothes.

Dressed in Traditional Japanese Martial Arts Clothing called Keikogi

Second, we learned the correct way to enter the dojo and start the training. This is very important in Japanese culture and is called aisatsu (formal greetings). To learn how to do these greetings properly would take a full day’s training. Not much fun, so we did a short condensed version that teaches you the basics to get started. Bow to enter the dojo. Enter the dojo with your right foot, if you are standing on the right side of the room and left foot, if standing on the left side. This is very important and is done as to not step on the kami (god) of the dojo. Bow to the master and then bow to Amaterasu (the sun goddess), who is famously enshrined at Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture. The goddess can magically visit the dojo via a mirror which is placed in a small shrine on the wall of the dojo. This shrine is called the showmen, and is usually at the front of the dojo.

Samurai Armour and Swords in the Dojo

There are many different styles of sword fighting in Japan that have been passed down from generation to generation and from master to master. This school teaches Iaido (居合道), which is a modern Japanese martial art that focuses on the quick drawing of the sword, a resolute attack, and a smooth withdrawal.

The first thing to learn with the swords is how to draw them from the sheath and hold them correctly. This luckily isn’t too hard to learn and can be picked up quite quickly. You learn which part of the sword is best for striking and how to wield the sword in both hands. The key is 80% of the gripping power is in the left hand, while 20% is in the right, which is mainly used for guiding the sword. You also learn the correct stance with right foot forward, well balanced posture with lose shoulders and relaxed hands.

Practicing Kata or Set Movements with the Sword

There are also many different kinds of sword strikes or cuts, so we learn the basic two of straight cut (makko giri) and diagonal cut (kesa giri) using practice swords.

After practicing the two different strikes via kata (set movements), it was time to put the strikes into action and actually cut something with real swords. Away went the practice swords and out came the shinken, a razor sharp sword. You get to practice the strikes by cutting wet tatami (straw) mats, which have been soaked in water for several days. They actually smell quite fowl, but do a good job of simulating the limbs of a human body.

Surprisingly it doesn’t take much effort to easily cut through the mats with the razor sharp swords and is like slicing through butter with a knife.

Cutting Tatami Straw Mats with the Sword

Last of all after working up quite a sweat, it was time to watch the master and his instructors in action. Sitting on the wooden floor of the dojo and watching their precise, graceful and powerful movements was a treat and something that I will soon not forget. It is easy to tell that they have been practising this art for many years and have a great knowledge and experience in handling the swords.

The Iaido Instructors in Action

I really enjoyed my interactions with the instructors and the sword master, Mr Sakaguchi during the tour. It was great to be able to find out the history behind the samurai armour and various tsuba on display. The master also visits Gifu on a regularly basis as Seki City in the Mino region of Gifu Prefecture is a famous sword-making area, that has been producing high-quality blades since the 13th century. Mr Sakaguchi has a great sense of humour, telling us funny stories as well as many Japanese proverbs (kotowaza), which originate from samurai culture and samurai swords. Most of our interaction is in Japanese, but he throws in a little English now and then, which always brings a laugh.

Training with the Bushido Master

Mr Sakaguchi, the Bushido Master

I highly recommend this tour if you like me have an interest in traditional Japanese martial arts and samurai culture. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

If you are interested in joining a TABICA tour, check out their website, or contact them via email (info-en@tabica.jp). Tell them John Asano from Japan Australia sent you and you are bound to receive the VIP treatment.