Japan’s samurai history and culture runs deep in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, and the wider Aizu region, in western Fukushima Prefecture.
The then Aizu Domain is often regarded as one of the final strongholds of the samurai when Japan transitioned from shogunate rule to practical imperial rule during the turbulent Meiji Restoration in the mid-to-late 19th century.
Aizuwakamatsu’s iconic Tsuruga Castle was the setting for the final stand of the Aizu clan samurai who eventually surrendered to imperial forces during the Boshin War.
In the last year or so, we have been lucky enough to make a number of trips to the region to interview people in Aizu about their samurai heritage as well as to cover more recent issues including the revitalization of the Fukushima region following the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, the local sake industry, and also the effect that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus is having on tourism in the region.
Between interviews we were able to grab some video footage using an Osmo Pocket and a GoPro and have finally been able to put this footage together, across two visits to the region (Feb., 2020 and Feb., 2021), to come up with this video.
If you are interested in visiting the Aizu region we recommend further research into the locations covered in this video in light of the ever-changing situation regarding the on-going virus pandemic. Please stay updated on the latest recommendations and restrictions as issued by the authorities in Japan.
Again, as some of this footage was shot in 2020 circumstances surrounding the facilities may have changed and it should also be noted that the geigi performance featured in the video is not one that is regularly organized by the accommodation facility, rather it was a special “one off” for our visit.
#Fukushima #Japantravel #samurai
If you prefer this sort of content in written form, let us point you to some of the articles that we have published as a result of our visits to the Aizu region:
Efforts to preserve cultural landscape of historic Aizu region continue amid pandemic (Kyodo News Plus):
–
Samurai legacy source of pride, identity for residents of Aizuwakamatsu (Kyodo News Plus):
–
Interview with a geigi: Higashiyama Onsen, Aizuwakamatsu (City-Cost):
–
– Related videos on City-Cost Japan –
Life in rural Shizuoka Japan: Highlights from the countryside
–
Workation in rural Japan: Regional revitalization, “with corona” remote work solution
–
Tanabe City, Japan: Wakayama’s gateway to great experience and the Kumano
–
Alo Japan.