Tsuruga Castle
Tsuruga Castle, The Red Tiled Castle Of Aizuwakamatsu, The Stronghold Of The Aizu Clan That Held Out Against The New Government In 1868, Rebuilt In The 1960s And Again Recoated In Red Tile, With A Museum Inside And A Park Around It. · Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
Tsuruga Castle, also called Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle, is the red-roofed castle of Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima prefecture, a bus ride from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. The site goes back to 1384 and was the seat of the Aizu domain, rebuilt several times over the centuries. It is best known for the Boshin War siege of 1868, when the Aizu clan and its forces, including the Byakkotai youth squad, fought the Imperial army and the castle fell after a long defence; the story is often told in Japan and treated with care. The keep standing today was rebuilt in concrete in 1965 and recoated in red roof tiles in 2011, and a museum inside tells the history. It suits history readers, families, cherry blossom viewers and anyone exploring the Aizu region. It is worth the detour for the keep museum and the grounds in late April. It is not worth it if you want an original castle, since the building is a reconstruction. Allow two to three hours.
1-1 Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, a bus ride from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station, Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan
The keep museum and grounds are open daily from morning until late afternoon, with the last entry to the keep about 30 minutes before closing; hours shorten in winter - confirm times. The park grounds are open longer than the keep, and some seasonal events extend opening hours. From Aizu-Wakamatsu Station a bus runs to the castle in roughly 20 minutes on a sightseeing loop route; confirm the timetable and the last bus back. Nothing normally needs booking, though cherry blossom weekends in late April and Golden Week are crowded. Cash is useful for the tea house and small shops.