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most visited sights
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3
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of 9 sights
in Aizu
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| basic
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From Iimoriyama: Aizu and Tsuruga Castle in the distance
After the fall of the shogunate in 1867, forces still loyal to the shogun were concentrated in the northern Tohoku region. They attempted to resist the new government, but suffered a decisive defeat at Tsuruga Castle in 1868. Looking out from Iimoriyama Hill, a group of young Aizu soldiers in a unit called the Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps) saw their castle engulfed in flames and committed seppuku.
The boys, 20 of them aged 14 to 16, had made a grave error; the castle had not actually been taken, the flames they had seen were from outside the castle walls. Nevertheless, the story of their loyalty and devotion has become well known throughout Japan and numerous TV, film and manga adaptations have been made.
Iimoriyama, the site of the boy's suicide, has become a popular tourist attraction. As well as souvenirs shops and monuments, there are two museums devoted to the Byakkotai. The Byakkotai Memorial Hall is the larger and is located beside the main path up the hill. The second, the Byakkotai Folklore and Historical Museum, is much smaller and can be found a bit off the main path.
Statue of a Byakkotai soldier
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Sazaedo Pagoda
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Among the monuments devoted to the Byakkotai, there are 19 tombs for the Byakkotai soldiers. Though there were 20 of them on the hill, one of the boys was not successful in his suicide attempt. At the site of the hill that looks onto Tsuruga Castle, there is a statue of a Byakkotai soldier peering off into the distance.
There are also two monuments which visitors may find surprising. From Japan's fascist allies during the war, there is a column from Italy and a plaque from Germany. The column has a statue of an eagle on its top, and was taken from Pompeii. The plaque was given by a diplomat in 1935.
Down the hill there are a few other buildings of interest, such as a shrine and the Sazaedo Pagoda. The pagoda is particularly interesting because visitors can enter inside, and a ramp spirals up to the top of the pagoda and back down again.
Tombs of the Byakkotai
Any advice or questions? Voice them in the forum!
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| how
to get there |
The Aizu Loop Bus stops at "Iimoriyama-shita" bus stop at the foot of the mountain. The bus ride from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station takes 5 minutes by the clockwise operating bus (1 bus per hour, no service in winter) or 45 minutes by the counter-clockwise operating bus (2 buses per hour, service all year).
Alternatively, regular city buses connect Aizu-Wakamatsu Station and Iimoriyama in five minutes and for 210 yen around the year.
How to get to and around Aizu
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| hours
and fees |
| Byakkotai Memorial Hall | | Hours: | 8:00 to 17:00 (April to November)
8:30 to 16:30 (December to March) | | Closed: | No closing days | | Admission: | 400 yen |
| Byakkotai Folklore and Historical Museum | | Hours: | 8:00 to 17:00 (April to November)
9:00 to 16:30 (December to March) | | Closed: | No closing days | | Admission: | 300 yen |
| Sazaedo Pagoda | | Hours: | 8:15 to Sunset (from 9:00 from December to March) | | Closed: | No closing days | | Admission: | 400 yen |
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| travel
community |
Popularity of Iimoriyama:
Users who have been to Aizu: 60
Users who have been to Iimoriyama: 14 3rd of 9 most visited sights in Aizu.
425th of 554 most visited sights nationwide.
Ratings for Iimoriyama:
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japan-guide.com Rating:
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interesting
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User Rating (by 8 users):
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73/100
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recommended
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