Aizu-Wakamatsu and Tsurugajo Castle: Where the Samurai Era Ended

The Tsurugajo Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu (Fukushima) was the site of one of the last major conflicts of the Edo period—the 1868 Battle of Aizu—which sealed the end of the shogunate regime in Japan.

Context

Tsurugajō (鶴ヶ城, "Crane Castle"), also known as Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle, is one of the most historically significant sites in modern Japan. It is located in Fukushima Prefecture, where in 1868 one of the decisive battles of the Meiji Restoration—and de facto the end of the samurai era as a dominant military force—was fought.

The Battle of Aizu (1868)

The Aizu domain (会津藩, Aizu-han) was one of the last loyalist strongholds of the Tokugawa shogunate against the imperial forces (Satsuma-Chōshū troops). The city held out for over a month before surrendering. Among the most dramatic episodes of this siege was the sacrifice of the Byakkotai (白虎隊, "White Tiger Corps"), a group of young samurai who collectively committed suicide on Iimori Hill, mistakenly believing the castle had fallen.

The Castle Today

Destroyed after the battle and rebuilt in modern times, Tsurugajō now houses a museum dedicated to the history of the Aizu domain and the Meiji period. Its architectural feature—the vermilion red tiles on the roof, restored to their original 16th-century state—gives it a unique silhouette among Japanese castles. Nippon.com describes it as "a symbol of Fukushima Prefecture."

How to Get There

Aizu-Wakamatsu is accessible from Tokyo by train (Shinkansen to Kōriyama, then the Banetsu Saisen Line, 磐越西線). The journey takes about 2.5 hours. The city is worth visiting beyond the castle: its sake (大七, Daishichi), the craftsmanship of Aizu lacquerware (Aizu-nuri, 会津塗), and the preserved atmosphere of a Japanese provincial town far from the usual tourist routes.