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  • Japanese Study Tips for JET Participants

    Written by

    Shaney Crawford

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    Prepared for the Toronto JET Pre-Departure Orientation (June 2001)

    Why Study Japanese?

    It can’t be emphasized enough that your understanding of Japan and its culture will not be complete without an understanding of the Japanese language. The better you understand the language, the better you will be able to make sense of your experiences in Japan.

    If that is too nebulous a reason for you to start hunkering down to study, the most practical reason is that it will make your life easier. You are about to go from being a highly educated member of Canadian society, to an illiterate member of Japanese society (unless you have already studied Japanese). This is a difficult transition, but it can be made easier by taking a few basic steps before you leave Canada:

    1. Learn hiragana and katakana which are the two basic writing systems. They are also known as syllabaries or “kana”. Knowledge of the kana will help you to understand the sound patterns in Japanese.
    2. Learn how to introduce yourself. This includes your name, nationality, where you come from in Canada, what your hobbies are, etc.
    3. Try out your new phrases on a Japanese person. You will probably notice that Japanese people are very patient with your attempts to speak their language. This should encourage you to keep going.
    4. If you have time to learn more, start with the numbers from 1 to 100, colours, days of the week, months of the year, basic verbs/nouns/adjectives, sentence structure, verb conjugation, etc.

    How to Study Japanese

    There are as many ways to study Japanese as there are people in the world. Everyone uses a different system, and none is better than the other. The trick is that you have to find a way of studying that matches your learning style. If you are a methodical learner, you should find a methodical way of studying. If you are a more holistic learner, then find a holistic approach. For example, if you like to do things in order, perhaps try studying from a textbook. On the other hand, if you are more concerned with communication than grammar, find a language partner and set up exchange conversation lessons.

    Ask the JETs and other foreigners in your area to recommend language schools, classes, or teachers. If you are not in a city center, there may not be any formal classes. In this case, you will have to either find a teacher or study on your own. Here are some common approaches to studying Japanese.

    Private Study

    If you are an extremely disciplined student, you may be able to buy a textbook, slog your way through it, and come out fluent. In my experience, this is not usually the case. Private study can kill hours in between teaching English classes, but I don’t recommend this as your only form of studying. Supplement it with at least some advice from a Japanese person. Textbook Japanese sounds as funny as textbook English.

    Advantages: you decide what you want to study, and at what pace, doesn’t cost anything (other than the price of the textbook)
    Disadvantages: can’t be sure that you are learning the correct forms for your gender, situation, etc., hard to stay motivated, especially if you become busy with other things in life

    Language Exchange

    Many JETs find success with this approach. The basic idea is that you find a compatible Japanese person and swap language lessons. For example, you teach English for an hour and the Japanese person teaches Japanese for an hour.

    Advantages: you decide what you want to study, and at what pace, doesn’t cost anything
    Disadvantages: your classes will only be as good as your partner (so spend the time and find a good partner/teacher), classes can become too casual for real learning

    Tutor

    If you are lucky, you will be able to find someone who can tutor you. I highly recommend paying this person since that reinforces the teacher/student relationship and it makes the teacher feel equally responsible for your success. One recommendation: you should choose the textbook and outline the style of teaching that suits you best. If you don’t set down the “rules” from the start, you may end up with a “repeat-after-me” kind of class. Another recommendation: strictly define the timeline of the classes (i.e. once a week, on Wednesdays, at 5pm, for 10 weeks). This will mean that you can re-assess your situation at the end of the 10 weeks and make any necessary changes (new textbook, new method, new tutor, etc.).

    Advantages: keeps you on track and studying since you are the only student in the class
    Disadvantages: costs some money, can become tedious if the tutor is not well-informed of your learning style

    Regular Group Classes – Non-profit organizations

    If you live in a city, you may find that there are regular classes held at a central location (city hall, international association, etc.). These classes are generally inexpensive and are run regularly for the benefit of newcomers.

    Advantages: generally quite cheap, learning with other people can be fun and motivating
    Disadvantages: can be hard to find the right level since everyone is different, sometimes the classes are not very serious

    Regular Group Classes – Business

    Same as above, but likely to be more expensive and proportionately more serious.

    Cram Courses

    There are several schools that run programmes over the school holidays (August, December-January, March-April) and during Golden Week (April-May). Popular places for JETs include Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Akita, but you should do some research before committing to any of them. The Japanese Language School Guide (http://jls-guide.com/english/index.html) is a good starting point. You can also find a list at Worldwide Classroom (www.worldwide.edu/ci/japan/index.html).

    Advantages: short-term intensive programmes speed up your learning
    Disadvantages: if you don’t reinforce what you learned once the programme is over, you will be right back at square one

    Correspondence

    Correspondence courses are offered by CLAIR (course designed for JETs, you will be sent the information), Kumon (http://www.kumon.ne.jp/jpn), JETRO (http://www.jetro.go.jp), and NHK (www.nhk.or.jp/index-e.html). They are all quite different, so you will have to look them up on the internet for details.

    Advantages: generally not too expensive, good for keeping you motivated
    Disadvantages: you have to be disciplined to keep up with the lessons, you must supplement the course with real interaction with Japanese people

    Textbooks and Dictionaries

    The number of Japanese language textbooks on the market has increased rapidly over the past few years. Some popular titles include Minna no Nihongo (or its more business-related cousin Shin Nihongo no Kiso), Japanese for Busy People, Japanese for Everyone, and a whole host of books that will help you learn hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

    It’s probably best to wait until you get to Japan to buy any textbooks. The selection in Canada is quite limited, and the textbooks that you find here often use romaji (English letters) rather than kana. Once you get to Japan, you will have to make a trip to a large city with a bookstore that carries Japanese textbooks. There are three good locations in Tokyo:

    If you can’t make it to a store, your best bet is to try the local international association or city hall. Often they have a small collection of textbooks in a library corner. Or ask local JETs and foreigners what books they use.

    The thing to remember is that you can’t just buy (or order) any old textbook and hope that it does the trick. Language textbooks come in a variety of forms and it is best not to make any decisions until you have held the textbook in your hands and flipped through it a few times. Evaluate the book on the following criteria:

    • Level – Is the text at an appropriate level for you? Regardless of whether it is listed as beginner, intermediate, or advanced, does it suit you? Does it challenge you?
    • Language – Is the text mostly in Japanese or mostly in English? Is the Japanese written in romaji (bad) or kana (good)?
    • Tone – Is this text meant for adults, students, or children?
    • Layout – Do you care whether there are pictures? Colours? Lots of charts? No charts?
    • Organization – Does the text progress in a sensible fashion? Does the first chapter teach you what you want to learn right away, or do you have to wait until Chapter 15?
    • Target ability – Does the text focus on what you want to learn: conversation skills (speaking, listening) or more academic skills (writing, reading)?
    • Learning style – Does the text suit your learning style? Do you want it to focus on grammar? Vocabulary? Useful expressions?

    It is important to remember that no text will be perfect, but you should try to find one that is as close as possible.

    Once you have decided on a book, if you can’t get to a store, order the book through your local bookstore (a very common practice in Japan) or try Amazon in Japan at http://www.amazon.co.jp. The Amazon site is in Japanese only, so you will have to ask a Japanese friend to help you with it.

    Tests

    Once you get your Japanese up to a certain level, you may want to consider taking a test to prove that you are at that level. There are many tests, with many different criteria, so don’t rush in to the first one you hear about.

    The Japanese Proficiency Test is held once a year, in December. If you miss that one, it can give you the feeling that you have missed the only opportunity to prove that you have, in fact, been studying during your time in Japan. However, there are a few other tests around to keep you on your toes the whole year round.

    If this is your first time going to Japan and you have never studied Japanese, I would recommend studying for at least six months to one year before taking any tests. You have enough to worry about without having to cram Japanese sloppily into your head. Take your time and learn it right the first time around.

    If you have been there for at least one year or if you studied Japanese seriously as a university-level course for at least one year, I would recommend Level 4 of the Japanese Proficiency Test, Level 10 of the Kanji Proficiency Test, or Level F of the J-TEST.

    In my opinion, you shouldn’t set your sights to pass a test that you are not already almost ready to pass. Very few people actually have enough self-motivation to raise themselves up a level between the time they apply and the time they actually take the test. Try to think of the tests as a confirmation of what you already know, and not as a challenge to cram.

    If you are Mr. or Ms. Mo Pera Pera, you might consider taking the Translation Test or the Interpreting Test. These tests are mainly for Japanese people, so they are probably the best tests to use as entries on your resume (if you are planning to pursue a career in translation or interpretation, that is).

    If you would like to enter a Japanese university, you should climb the Japanese Proficiency Test ladder. If you would like to enter Japanese business, you should probably climb the JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test, JCAT or J-TEST ladder.

    The Kanji Proficiency Test is a good way to give yourself small, achievable goals. The tests follow the same levels as Japanese schools (starting with the first grade of elementary school), so there are lots of level-appropriate textbooks, workbooks, readers, and dictionary to help you along the way. The same cannot be said for most of the other tests. Studying for the Kanji Test helps you learn not only kanji, but also vocabulary.

    The Japanese Proficiency Test is still the most widely known and accepted test around. If you miss it this year, don’t wait until next November to start studying for the next one! There are also various speech, essay, and translation contests for foreigners throughout the year.

    Nihongo Nouryoku Shiken (Japanese Proficiency Test)

    Levels: 1-4 (1 is the highest)
    Schedule: Offered once a year in December, applications are due in mid September
    Cost: 500 yen for application form, 5000 yen to take test
    Content: Kanji, Vocabulary, Listening, Reading Comprehension, Grammar
    Contact: http://www.jees.or.jp/jlpt/en/ (in Japan) or http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt/home.html (outside Japan)

    Japanese Communication Ability Test (JCAT)

    Schedule: Apply by mid-April or September, Tests in May and October
    Cost: 4,200 yen
    Content: Reading Test (75 min), Listening Test (45 min)
    Contact: International Japanese Education Centre Tel: 03-3255-8123 Fax: 03-3255-8129 http://www.root.or.jp/ijec (web site in Japanese only)

    JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test

    Levels: 1 to 3 (1 is highest) + Oral Communication
    Schedule: Apply by mid-April, Test in June
    Content: Levels 1-3 = Listening and Reading Comprehension
    Contact: http://www.jetro.go.jp/it/e/bj/test.html

    JETRO Oral Communication Test (JOCT)

    You must pass Level 1 of the Business Proficiency Test before you can take the JOCT.
    Contact: http://www.jetro.go.jp/it/e/bj/test.html

    Nihon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei (Kanji Proficiency Test)

    Levels: 1-10 with 1 as the highest, 10 is elementary school 1st grade
    Schedule: Offered three times a year
    Cost: Level 1 = 6000 yen, Pre-Level-1 = 5000 yen, Level 2 = 4000 yen, Levels 3 to 7 = 2000 yen, Levels 8 to 10 = 1500 yen
    Content: Reading, writing kanji, identifying radicals, etc.
    Contact: Nihon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai 075-391-7110 http://www.kentei.co.jp (web site in Japanese only)
    Notes: Your Board of Education may know of a school that is holding the test in your area

    JTEST Nikken (Test of Practical Japanese)

    Levels: A to F (A is highest, F is equivalent of Japanese Proficiency Test Level 4)
    Schedule: Offered 4 times a year
    Cost: Levels A-D = 1900 yen, Levels E-F = 1100 yen
    Content: Listening Comprehension (45 min), Reading Comprehension (70 min)
    Contact: J-TEST Niken Jimukyoku / Nihongo Kentei Kyoukai Tel: 03-3368-8106 Fax: 03-3368-8107 http://www.jtest.org/jtest

    Nihongo Tsuuyakusha Shiken (Interpretation Test)

    Levels: 1-2
    Schedule: Offered twice a year
    Cost: 4,400 yen (2,500 yen for people who have already taken and passed the A test [J-TEST])
    Content: A = Information about the Japanese Language — J-TEST (Test of Practical Japanese), B = Information about Japan — history, social studies, culture, C = Translation
    Contact: J-TEST Nikken Jimukyoku / Nihongo Kentei Kyoukai Tel: 03-3368-8106 Fax: 03-3368-8107 http://www.jtest.org/jtest
    Notes: Includes J-TEST

    Tsuuyaku Ginou Test (Tsuuken) (Interpreting Test)

    Levels: Professional Levels 1-2 (1 is highest), Volunteer Levels A-B (A is highest)
    Schedule: Twice a year
    Cost: Level 1 = 14000 yen, Level 2 = 10000 yen, Level A = 5500 yen, Level B = 3500 yen
    Content: Step 1 = Writing, Common Knowledge, Current Events, Step 2 = Interpret an English speech, writing test
    Contact: Nihongo Seishounen Ikusei Kyoukai 03-3209-4741

    General Tips

    No matter what method you choose to study Japanese, there are some basic truths that will help you along the way.

    • Start with learning the syllabaries (hiragana and katakana, known as “kana”). Do not rely on romaji (Japanese written with the English alphabet) as it will only impair your future learning potential. Do not use textbooks that use only romaji.
    • Get a good Japanese-English dictionary. Resist the urge to buy a romaji dictionary (one where the Japanese words are written in English letters). Initially it is harder to use the kana dictionaries, but it will do you good in the long run to get used to seeing Japanese in Japanese. For this reason, it is probably better to purchase the dictionary in Japan.
    • Surround yourself with Japanese even when you are not studying. Watch TV, listen to the radio, buy Japanese CDs, make Japanese friends, do a homestay, keep a small notebook for writing down new words, learn a Japanese song for karaoke, take up a hobby as much for the language as for the craft (ikebana, tea ceremony, pottery, martial arts, cooking)
    • DO NOT spend all your time with other foreigners! This is a direct route to having sloppy Japanese and lazy study methods.
    • Don’t be so anxious to “communicate” that you skip out on learning grammar properly. Getting a good foundation in grammar is the best way to start.
    • Set yourself a time limit for learning hiragana, katakana or kanji. If you study properly every day, you should be able to master both syllabaries within two weeks. Then all you have to do is practise!
    • All languages have systematic patterns. If you look for the patterns in a language, rather than trying to memorize chunks of distinct expressions, you will increase your learning speed and flexibility.
    • Most of us only have a chance to practise foreign languages in a classroom. While you are in Japan, you have the opportunity to practise every single day. Don’t waste this opportunity. Swallow your pride and just start talking.
    • If you progress to the stage where you want to learn kanji (characters that represent sounds and meanings), look for a systematic study method. Buy or make flash cards. If you are serious about learning kanji, buy an electronic dictionary (Canon Wordtank, Sony Data Diskman). They are quite expensive, so be sure you have to drive to study before you go out and buy a flashy piece of equipment to clutter up your desk. Attend Japanese calligraphy classes to practise writing.

    Final Note

    There is no magic way to learn languages. It doesn’t matter whether you are in a city or a village, whether you have studied Japanese before or not. The basic truth is that you have to study in some way to improve. It is hard work, and it will get frustrating at times, but if you keep at it, you will improve.

  • Glossary of Terms for Studying Aizu Wakamatsu's History

    Written by

    Shaney Crawford

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    Aizu ไผšๆดฅ

    • original meaning – two gods met (ไผš) by a river (ๆดฅ) in Aizu Takada

    Aizu Clan ไผšๆดฅ่—ฉ

    • Katamori Matsudaira (ๆพๅนณๅฎนไฟ) [1834-1893] was the lord (daimyo – ๅคงๅ) of the Aizu Clan
    • they were opposed to the Meiji Restoration and fought against the emperor’s forces in the Boshin Civil War

    Boshin Civil War ๆˆŠ่พฐๆˆฆไบ‰ [1868-1869]

    • Jan 27th 1868 to Jun 27th 1869 (last stronghold – Hakodate in Hokkaido – fell)
    • Meiji Restoration (ๆ˜Žๆฒป็ถญๆ–ฐ) trying to unify Japan
    • some areas were fighting back, but many just accepted the new situation
    • Aizu was the last stronghold of the samurai way of life
    • Aizu clan fought against the anti-shogunate troops

    Bukeyashiki ๆญฆๅฎถๅฑ‹ๆ•ท

    • residence of the samurai of Edo period (17th-19th century)
    • seven acres, 38 rooms
    • original buildings were burned 130 years ago during the Boshin civil war, rebuilt 20 years ago
    • took two years to rebuild
    • rooms have been decorated in Edo period style
    • lavatory has surface area close to 55 square feet
    • rice cleaning mill – 180 years old, brought from Shirakawa, water powered, has 16 stone mills, can pound 960kg of rice per day
    • kitchen has strong cross beams to support heavy snowfall
    • gyakubyobu (้€†ๅฑ้ขจ) – the byobu (or screen painting) is placed upside-down to show that their has been a death in the family
    • while one retainer (Tanomo Saigo) went to battle, his wife and children killed themselves
    • papers on the wall or pillar—When people come here for sightseeing, they put the paper which has their names on the wall as a good luck charm or just in memory.
    • Inro—a case to keep an Inkan (stamp) or medicine. Rich people used to keep it in their pocket, and usually they had a stopper called โ€œ โ€œ
    • money at the rice cleaning mill—Japanese people have a habit of making a monetary offering at shrines for the good luck. People visiting here offer money for praying the good harvest.
    • Nakahata Shrine – moved from Nakahata village, Gunjiro Matsudaira (judge) lived there, designated as important piece of cultural property
    • Chanoyu – tea ceremony – not pastime, but aesthetic ritual, follows rules set by Sen-no-Rikyu, his son, Shoan introduced the tea ceremony to Aizu, he built Rinkaku at Tsurugajo

    Bushidou ๆญฆๅฃซ้“

    • way of the warrior
    • martial spirit, skill with weapons, absolute loyalty to oneโ€™s lord, strong sense of personal honour, devotion to duty, courage to sacrifice oneโ€™s life in battle or ritual suicide
    • was actually mostly developed in times of peace โ€“ warriors had very little to do but practice their โ€œwayโ€ when the rulers took most of the powers away from them
    • martial aspects of bushido became popular during militaristic 1930โ€™s, but then fell into disfavour after the war (WWII)

    Byakkotai ็™ฝ่™Ž้šŠ

    • 20 young men (16-17 years old [Japanese counting], 15-16 years old [Western counting]) who studied Bushido (see below) at Aizu Nisshinkanใ€€(ไผšๆดฅๆ—ฅๆ–ฐ้คจ)
    • irony โ€“ Bushido teaches obedience to superiors, but Byakkotai were involved in a civil war, which is the exact opposite of obedience
    • were fighting off in Inawashiro (็Œช่‹—ไปฃ็”บ), but were losing
    • escaped through cave to Iimoriyamaใ€€(้ฃฏ็››ๅฑฑ)
    • looked over Aizu to see the Tsurugajo (้ถดใƒถๅŸŽใ€่‹ฅๆพๅŸŽ) in flames
    • if the castle fell, it meant the end of the Aizu Clanใ€€(ไผšๆดฅ่—ฉ)
    • rather than risk having to humble themselves before a new master, (and also to show their loyalty to the Aizu Clan) they killed themselves (1868)
    • in fact, the castle was not burning and the war raged on
    • Adachi Touzaburou ๅฎ‰้”็ฑไธ‰้ƒŽ, Ariga Orinosukeใ€€ๆœ‰่ณ€็น”ไน‹ๅŠฉ, Ikegami Shintaroใ€€ๆฑ ไธŠๆ–ฐๅคช้ƒŽ, Ishida Wasukeใ€€็Ÿณ็”ฐๅ’ŒๅŠฉ, Ishiyama Toranosukeใ€€็Ÿณๅฑฑ่™Žไน‹ๅŠฉ, Itou Teijirouใ€€ไผŠๆฑๆ‚Œๆฌก้ƒŽ, Itou Toshihikoใ€€ไผŠ่—คไฟŠๅฝฆ, Ibuka Motarouใ€€ไบ•ๆทฑ่Œ‚ๅคช้ƒŽ, Shinoda Gisaburouใ€€็ฏ ็”ฐๅ„€ไธ‰้ƒŽ, Suzuki Genkichiใ€€้ˆดๆœจๆบๅ‰, Tsugawa Kiyomiใ€€ๆดฅๅทๅ–œไปฃ็พŽ, Tsuda Sutezouใ€€ๆดฅ็”ฐๆจ่”ต, Nagase Yuujiใ€€ๆฐธ็€ฌ้›„ๆฒป, Nishikawa Katsutarouใ€€่ฅฟๅทๅ‹ๅคช้ƒŽ, Nomura Komashirouใ€€้‡Žๆ‘้ง’ใ€€ๅ››้ƒŽ, Hayashi Yasoujiใ€€ๆž—ๅ…ซๅๅ†ถ, Mase Genshichirouใ€€้–“็€ฌๆบไธƒ้ƒŽ, Yanase Katsuzaburouใ€€็ฐ—็€ฌๅ‹ไธ‰้ƒŽ, Yanase Takejiใ€€็ฐ—็€ฌๆญฆๆฒป, Iinuma Sadakichiใ€€้ฃฏๆฒผ่ฒžๅ‰ [15,16 years old]

    Byrd, Isabella ใ‚คใ‚ตใƒ™ใƒฉ๏ฝฅใƒใƒผใƒ‰

    • eldest daughter
    • born in Yorkshire, father was pastor
    • sick as a child (spinal disease), spent most of her adolescent years lying on a sofa in the rectory
    • in 1854 (she was 23), she decided to travel abroad in order to improve her health
    • first visited Canada, then U.S.A.
    • in the Spring of 1978, she set sail from San Francisco, arrived at port of Yokohama
    • stayed with Dr. Hepburn, an American missionary in Yokohama
    • didn’t like Yokohama very much, decided to travel into the interior even though it was not necessarily safe
    • hired a guide, an 18 year old boy named “Ito”
    • left Tokyo on horseback, Isabella in the lead
    • explored Nikko, headed further along the Kinugawa route (Aizu Highway)
    • visited Ikari, Yokokawa, Itosawa, Kawashima, Tajima, Toyonari, Atomi, Ohuchi, Ichikawa, Takada, Bange, Katakado, Nozawa, Najiri, Kuruma-toge, Hosaka, Torii, Eizan, and Tsugawa
    • when they reached Niigata, they had travelled 246 miles from Tokyo
    • continued to travel to Aomori via Yamagata, Shinjo, Yokote, and Kubota – covering 373 miles
    • visited villages of Ainu, where she closely observed the aborigines life and customs
    • took a ship called the Hyogo-maru back to Yokohama
    • whole journey lasted three months
    • wrote book – “A Trip to Japan’s Hinterland”, in which she described her visits to small towns, etc.
    • she visited Japan 5 more times between 1894 and 1896

    Daimyo ๅคงๅ

    • leader of local area (i.e. Aizu)

    Fujinbutai ๅฉฆไบบ้ƒจ้šŠ

    • group of female fighters during Boshin Civil War

    Gamo Ujisato

    • ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (shogun) to move to Aizu to rebuilt the castle and organize the city
    • protected the area from Date, who was Toyotomi’s enemy in Sendai
    • introduced culture to Aizu — lacquerware
    • rebuilt the castle as a seven storey building which resembled a crane in flight (current castle is 5 storeys)

    Iimoriyama ้ฃฏ็››ๅฑฑ

    • markers at base – for horses
    • place where the Byakkotai came after losing a battle in Inawashiro
    • many markers donated to show support of Byakkotai and their samurai spirit
    • one marker from Italian government — axe removed from claw of bird

    Iinuma Sadakichi ้ฃฏๆฒผ่ฒžๅ‰ใ€€[1853-1931]

    • Iinuma was the one Byakkotai who survived to tell the tale
    • his hand was injured, so he couldnโ€™t complete the seppuku

    Jinbo Shuuri ็ฅžไฟไฟฎ็† [1838-1868]

    • samurai, against war – was killed due to his opposition to Aizu’s stance on Boshin Civil War

    Karou ๅฎถ่€

    • advisor to the daimyo, elder

    Kayano Gonbei ่ฑ้‡Žๆจฉๅ…ต่ก› [1830-1869]

    • karou, during Boshin Civil War

    Komei Tennou ๅญๆ˜Žๅคฉ็š‡

    • Emperor before Meiji

    Kumitate ็ต„ใฟ็ซ‹ใฆ

    • style of construction in which no nails are used (e.g. Sazaedo)

    Matsudaira Katamori ๆพๅนณๅฎนไฟ [1834-1893]

    • Daimyo during Boshin Civil War
    • adopted by Matsudaira family

    Meiji Restoration ๆ˜Žๆฒป็ถญๆ–ฐ [1868-1912]

    • January 3 1868 to July 30 1912
    • restoring imperial rule

    Meiji Tennou ๆ˜Žๆฒปๅคฉ็š‡ [1852-1912]

    • Meiji Emperor, opposed Tokugawa shogunate

    Nakano Takeko ไธญ้‡Ž็ซนๅญ [1846-1868]

    • one of Fujinbutai, died during Boshin Civil War

    Sagawa Kanbei ไฝๅทๅฎ˜ๅ…ต่ก› [1831-1877]

    • samurai, was for fighting during Boshin Civil War

    Saigou Tanomo ่ฅฟ้ƒท้ ผๆฏ [1803-1905]

    • karou, originally against fighting in Boshin Civil War, resigned, succeeded by Kayano

    Sazaedo ใ•ใ–ใˆๅ ‚ใ€ๆ „่žบๅ ‚ [1796~, 1889~present]

    • built in 1700s
    • fell into disrepair during Meiji restoration
    • rebuilt with support of local citizens
    • sazae = turban shell
    • shaped like double helix
    • philosophy โ€“ if you canโ€™t climb a mountain, do a pilgrimage, then climb Sazaedo (similar to placing a rock on top of a rock to symbolize building a temple)
    • 33 images of Kannon (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy)
    • 16 metres tall
    • no nails used in construction – kumitate style of construction (็ต„ใฟ็ซ‹ใฆ)

    Samurai ไพ

    • member of the ruling class, originally warriors
    • bound by Bushidou during Edo period

    Seppuku ๅˆ‡่…น

    • ritual suicide by self-disembowelment
    • also called harakiri (่…นๅˆ‡), but that is too direct for most Japanese
    • abdomen was chosen because ancient Japanese believed that it was the place where the soul resided and the source of action-derived tension, cradle of the individualโ€™s will, boldness, spirit, anger, generosity
    • became very ritualized
    • apparel, site, time, witnesses, inspectors, assistant
    • open kimono, stretch out right hand to grasp knife, cut into abdomen from left to right
    • this wound was often not deep, and not intended to kill
    • prearranged signal to assistant would tell assistant to sever head
    • one of the 5 grades of punishment among samurai class

    Shougun ๅฐ†่ป

    • military leader of the daimyo and all of Japan (until Meiji Restoration)

    Tennou ๅคฉ็š‡

    • emperor

    Tokugawa Yoshinobu ๅพณๅทๆ…ถๅ–œ [1837- ]

    • last Shogun

    Toyotomi Hideyoshi

    • Shogun who ordered Gamo Ujisato to rebuild Tsurugajo and to protect the area from Sendai’s Date family which was Toyotomi’s enemy

    Tsurugajo ้ถดใƒถๅŸŽ [1384-, 1590-, -1874, 1965-present]

    • Daimyo Residence
    • most castles in Japan are reproductions of the originals which were destroyed in battle or in restorations
    • Tsurugajo was rebuilt in 1965 after being destroyed in 1874
    • Displays
      • 1st floor – tomb-period excavations (4th to 7th centuries) and Buddhist materials
      • 2nd floor – antique lacquerware and pottery
      • 3rd & 4th floors – Boshin War items, Byakkotai displays
      • 5th floor – observatory
      • Southern wing – folk materials
    • corridor bridge (Red bridge) – so as not to let very many enemies attack, legend — bridge was originally built so that pulling any one board out of it made the whole thing collapse
    • suit of armor and a helmet – made of iron, covered with lacquer. At the front of the helmets, they have the symbol of their groups.
    • a sword guard – the protection for the sword, craftsmen carved beautiful patterns on it
    • Akabeko (่ตคในใ“) – a famous souvenir of Aizu, red is believed to be a lucky colour, idea apparently comes from “red cows” that were needed to move the big stones to make the castle
    • Festival – September 23rd
    • surrounded by a stone wall
    • See: Interactive Tour of Tsurugajo

  • Interactive Tour of Tsurugajo

    Written by

    Shaney Crawford

    in

    on

    Aizu Wakamatsu’s Famous Castle
    [1384-, 1590-, 1639-1874, 1965-present]

    These are the notes that I would use to tell the story of Tsurugajo when I did a tour of the castle. The questions were used to make the tour more of an interactive activity than a lecture.

    This castle was originally the office of the leader of the local clan. However, the castle that you see today is just one reproduction in a long line of castles that have stood on this ground. (Most castles in Japan are reproductions of the originals which were destroyed in battle or in restorations.)

    ้ถดใƒถๅŸŽใƒป่‹ฅๆพๅŸŽ

    TSURUGAJOU or WAKAMATSUJOU
    You will hear the castle being called both Tsurugajou and Wakamatsujou. Originally the castle was named Kurokawa Yakata by Ashina Naomori. When Gamou Ujisato reformed the castle, he named it both Tsurugajou and Wakamatsujou. In 1934, when the castle grounds were designated as a national historical site, the name on the register was Wakamatsujou. Both Tsurugajou and Wakamatsujou are now in current use, but almost everyone refers to the current castle Tsurugajou. (Sometimes the ruins of the older castles are referred to as the ruins of Wakamatsujou.) Tsuru means crane.

    ่‘ฆๅ็›ด็››ใƒป่’ฒ็”Ÿๆฐ้ƒทใƒปๅŠ ่—คๆ˜Žๆˆใƒป่‹ฅๆพๅธ‚

    (1384 – ASHINA NAOMORI) The original castle was built by a feudal lord named Naomori Ashina. The moat dates from this time, but there were no rock walls.
    (1590 – GAMOU UJISATO) Ujisato Gamou added the walls, a seven-storey castle, and several interior buildings.
    (1639 – KATOU AKINARI) Akinari Katou rebuilt the castle with five storeys and added the walls and gate at Ootemon. The castle built by Ujisato Gamou was damaged in an earthquake in 1611, necessitating this new building.
    (1965 – WAKAMATSU-SHI) The city of Wakamatsu rebuilt the castle which was demolished by the Meiji Government in 1874 after the Boshin Civil War.

    QUESTION: Why are there marks on the wall?

    QUESTION: Why is the gate placed here?

    ๅคงๆ‰‹้–€

    OOTEMON
    The main entrance of the castle used to be where ROUKABASHI (the red bridge) is. However, during the Edo period, the main route to Tokyo (Edo) was changed from Seaburiyama to Takizawa Touge. At that time, Akinari Kato changed the main entrance of the castle to Ootemon when he fortified the area in front of Taikomon and Tsubakizaka. Ootemon means “main entrance”. Originally, the area in front of Tsubakizaka was just an open field, but Kato added rock walls and a gate called Ootemon. You can see marks in the rock walls where the gate used to stand. An example of such a gate is KUROGANEMON on the other side of the castle. Three pillars support each side of the gate. The gate is placed in a corner so that it cannot be attacked directly. However, this gate can be protected from several spots within the castle — on top of the rock walls, across the moat, etc. Enemy who tried to attack this gate would quickly find themselves surrounded and forced to jump into the moat where they can be easily attacked. Right now there are a lot of trees in this area, but during the Edo period, they wouldn’t have been here. The view would have been clearer. The walls that surround the castle not only protect the castle, but serve as a vantage point to check the actions of the enemy. The castle was put to great use during the Boshin Civil War of 1868. It is a great marvel that the structures designed during the peaceful Edo period could be put to use in a war over two hundred years after they had been built.

    ๅ‡บไธธ

    DEMARU
    A demaru is an open space that can be used to reinforce defences. At Tsurugajou, there are four demaru (Kitademaru, Nishidemaru, Ninomaru, Sannomaru) and one Honmaru (the innermost circle). If you add all of this space together, you will get 290,000 square meters, which is six times larger than the Tokyo Dome. The walls that surround the demaru are the oldest remaining part of the castle.

    ่‹ฅๆพๅŸŽ่ทก

    WAKAMATSU JOUSHI
    These walls are known as Wakamatsujoushi, which means “the remains of Wakamatsu Castle”.

    QUESTION: How much did Endo buy the castle for? (Find the answer on the sign board.)

    ้ ่—คๆ•ฌๆญข

    ENDO KEISHI
    In 1890, a man named Keishi Endo bought all 28.935 hectares of the castle ruins for 2500 yen and donated them to the local lord, Matsudaira. A monument stands on the castle grounds to commemorate Endo’s generosity. The castle grounds might not have been preserved without his kind act.

    QUESTION: Why is this slope called tsubakizaka?

    QUESTION: Why would they build the steps so roughly?

    ๆคฟๅ‚ใƒปๆจชๆ‰‹ๅ‚

    TSUBAKIZAKA or YOKOTEZAKA
    After entering Ootemon, you will pass through an area called Kitademaru and come upon a slope called TSUBAKIZAKA or YOKOTEZAKA. A tsubaki is a camellia (a kind of flower) and saka is a slope. When a camellia wilts the flower flops over heavily and rather ungracefully (unlike the cherry blossom petals that float gently in the breeze when they have finished blossoming). The camellia has been likened to a person who has had his head lopped off. For this reason, the camellia is not a very auspicious flower. This slope is called tsubakizaka because you had to get permission to traverse it. If you started climbing the slope without permission, you were likely to end up being killed, rather ungracefully (and flop over like the camellia). The slope is now covered with asphalt which was put there for the National Sport Meet (Kokutai). Underneath the asphalt, the slope is divided into two sections, one for people and one for horses. The section for people took up about three quarters of the area of the slope and was covered in uneven log steps. Because the steps were quite roughly and unevenly made, an enemy would have to look down to traverse them. This made it an easy slope to defend. Ootemon was not created until 1639 when Katou Akinari changed the main entrance from ROUKABASHI. So, before Ootemon was created, this slope would have been one of the main access points to the castle. The rocks in these walls are the biggest that you will find on the castle grounds. They were all taken from the same mountain, Keizan in Aizu Wakamatsu, so they are all of a similar colour and texture.

    ไผšๆดฅ้ขจๅœŸ่จ˜

    AIZU FUDOKI
    A fudoki is a book that describes various details of an area including climate, topographical features, and daily life (perhaps comparable to an almanac). One edition of the Aizu Fudoki includes information about the construction of Tsurugajou.
    QUESTION: Why would they call it the rock of the amusing girl?

    ้Šๅฅณ็Ÿณ

    YUUJOISHI
    The largest rock in the castle walls is located at the top of Tsubakizaka. It weighs over 7 tonnes (2000 GAN in old Japanese measurements) and is called YUUJOISHI. According to an edition of the Aizu Fudoki, a beautiful woman was placed on top of the 7 tonne stone to sing and dance and entertain the men while they transported the stone. Because of this, that particular stone is called “Yuujoishi” or the “rock of the amusing girl”.
    BONUS: Find examples of usetsusakou on the castle grounds.

    ๅณๆŠ˜ๅทฆ่กŒ

    USETSU SAKOU As you can imagine, it would not be very sensible for enemy forces to be able to enter Honmaru directly. In order to confuse the enemy, the walls were built so that you have to turn right then go left. This style of castle is called “usetsu sakou” or “turn right, go left”. This was an added defence mechanism for the castle. This rule holds for the three entrances to Honmaru (Nishidemaru, Kitademaru, Ninomaru).

    ๅคช้ผ“้–€

    TAIKOMON
    One of the gates is called “taikomon”. A taiko is a large drum and mon means gate. At the top of the gate was a huge taiko drum with a diameter of approximately 1.8 meters. It was brought over from Korea in the 1500s. The drum was probably used to announce the arrival of various visitors, such as the local lord. It also might have been used to warn the people in the castle of an approaching enemy. The tree near the site of the gate would not have been here. The drum was probably damaged during the Boshin Civil War as no trace of it remains.

    ๆœฌไธธ

    HONMARU
    Honmaru is the central area of the castle grounds, the area that contains the castle itself.

    BONUS: Find examples of the different kinds of ishigaki on the castle grounds. Extra points for naming the style of construction.

    ็Ÿณๅžฃ

    ISHIGAKI
    Three types of rock walls (ishigaki) can be seen at Tsurugajou. The first, and oldest is NOZURAZUMI (literally, “field facade construction”). Gamou Ujisato used this style of building to make the walls that support the castle itself. This style uses rocks that have been taken from rivers and they remain in their natural shapes (they are not cut into squares, for example). The advantage of nozurazumi is that it allows water to seep through the rocks without getting stuck. This makes the wall strong against the elements. The second oldest style is UCHIKOMIHAGI (literally, “hammer and put together joints”). The base was made of large rocks then smaller rocks were stuffed into the gaps. The larger rocks were shaped with tools (hammers), so they would stay together properly. This provides a very strong base. There were no machines for lifting the rocks, so the workers would build a slope, and roll the rocks up to the top, then pile up more sand. As the walls got higher, the slope got longer. They would eventually remove the dirt from the slope and grind the surface of the wall to get rid of parts that stuck out. Even now, you can see the vertical traces of this cutting and grinding that they did in the Edo period. This style of construction tends to trap water, so there is a possibility that the wall will succumb to water damage at some point. The advantage to this type of wall is that it looks better than the nozurazumi style, which looks quite primitive in comparison. An example of this style can be seen in the walls near TAIKOMON. The third and newest style is KIRIKOMIHAGI (literally “cut and put together joints”) and a good example of it can be seen near Kuroganemon. In this style, rocks are cut and shaped to fit together perfectly.

    BONUS: Find examples of the different kinds of mushabashiri on the castle grounds. Extra points for naming the style of construction.

    ๆญฆ่€…่ตฐใ‚Š

    MUSHABASHIRI
    “Musha” means samurai and “hashiri” means rushing or running. When you put them together, they become mushabashiri, which is the word used to describe the stairs in the walls around the castle. These stairs were used by the defending samurai to climb up the walls in case of an attack. There are three styles of mushabashiri. The rock wall just inside honmaru is made in the “AWASEZAKA” or “AIZAKA” style, which means a pair of stairs facing each other in a V-shape. The stairs on one side of the V have been repaired, but the other set remain unrepaired. This style allows lots of soldiers to run up to the top of the wall quickly. (The tree on top of the rock wall at the top of the awasezaka is a keyaki (zelkova) which was not planted, but just started growing one year.) Another type is “GANGIZAKA” which is a long, steep staircase. The stairs that lead to Kanetsukidou (the bell tower) are a good example of this style. The third style is “KASANEZAKA”, but there are no examples of this style on the grounds of Tsurugajou.

    QUESTION: Is this building a shrine or a temple?

    ้ถดใƒถๅŸŽ็จฒ่ท็ฅž็คพ

    TSURUGAJOU INARI JINJA
    This shrine is for people who need an extra bit of help with their schoolwork and tests. Just before “test season” in March, hundreds of school-children and their parents flock to this shrine to pray for good results. Foxes are said to be servants of the gods, so this shrine and the Kasama Jinja located on the other side of the castle are sometimes mistakenly called “Kitsune Jinja” or Fox Shrine. For some reason, foxes are said to like aburaage (fried tofu), so many people leave some after they make their wish.

    QUESTION: How is this castle different from European castles?

    ๅธฏ้ƒญ

    OBIKURUWA
    The commander controlled his troops from inside a thin, rectangular area called the “obikuruwa” which means “belt-like enclosure”. The obikuruwa at Tsurugajou is very similar to the same structure in Osaka Castle. This area is the last line of defence before the enemy reaches the weaker buildings within the castle walls. Japanese castles often had very strong stone outer walls, but very weak, wooden buildings on the inside. This is in direct contrast with European castles, which often consist of one large, strong building surrounded by a moat.

    ๅฅณๆ€งใฎๅผทใ•

    WEAK BUILDINGS, STRONG WOMEN The emperor’s forces (SEIGUN) bombed the castle with cannons from Odayama. Occasionally, there would be as many as 2000 cannons firing. However, the castle and the buildings in the courtyard rarely burned down. The reason for this was that putting out fires was the job of the women at the castle. The moment a cannon landed, women would rush out with wet blankets, futons, or straw mats to cover the cannon before it exploded.

    ๆœฌไธธใฎๅ…ฅๅฃ

    ENTRANCE OF HONMARU
    There used to be an old rock wall here but it was taken down. It also follow the rule of USETSUSAKOU.

    ๅธฏ้ƒญใฎ็Ÿณๅžฃ

    WALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OBIKURUWA On the top of this wall, there used to be wooden/metal wall through which soldiers could fire their weapons.

    QUESTION: Who is Kayano Gonbei? (They will only be able to answer if they have had the Iimoriyama tour first.)

    ่ฑ้‡Žๆจฉๅ…ต่ก›

    MONUMENT TO KAYANO GONBEI This is a monument to Gonbei Kayano, one of the clan elders during the Boshin Civil War. He took responsibility for the Boshin Civil War by killing himself by ritual disembowelment. The citizens of Wakamatsu erected this monument to the memory of their Gonbei in 1934.

    ๆœฌไธธๅพกๆฎฟ่ทก

    REMAINS OF THE OLD BUILDINGS
    Honmaru contains about 29000 square metres (8840 tsubo in old Japanese measurements). There used to be many buildings in this space. There were two chambers called DAISHOIN and SHOUSHOIN (they included 86 and 48 tatami respectively). In the exact centre of Honmaru, there was a GOZASHO, room where the feudal lord could conduct political business or study. On the left hand side, behind the tonosama gozasho, there were two houses in a row. A courtesan (TSUBONE) lived in one of these houses, called NAGATSUBONE.

    After the Boshin War, many of the ruined buildings were bought by local temples. Gosankai and one of the genkan (entrance halls) were bought and moved to Amidaji in Nanukamachi. Tonosama Gozanoma (the rooms for the local lord) were taken to Chomeiji in Nisshinmachi. Unfortunately, two to three years later both the temple and the repaired building were burnt to the ground. The Hashirinagaya was moved to a sake store called Tsurunoe in Nanukamachi. Some of the ruins of a building from Honmaru were used in building Koutokuji, which includes Ujisato Gamou’s gravesite, on Shinmeidori.

    BONUS: Find a cross on this wall.

    ๅๅญ—ใƒžใƒผใ‚ฏ

    CROSSES
    There are cross marks in about 10 different places at the castle. Most of them can be found on the outside walls of the ishigaki, but occasionally one can be found on the inside walls. They are almost impossible to see if you aren’t looking for them. There is no record or explanation of where these marks came from or why they are there. Some people suggest that they were left by Christians (Ujisato Gamou, the man who rebuilt the castle in 1384, was a Christian. His Christian name was Ujisato Leo). Others suggest that perhaps the men who built the walls were trying to leave their mark on them.

    ๅพกไธ‰้šŽ

    GOSANKAI
    Gosankai means “three floors”. This building was used for secret conferences. From the outside, it looks like the building only has two floors. In fact, in between the first and second floor, there is another, small, secret floor. Once the last person enters the hidden room, the stairs can be taken away by the people inside the room. Spies could be detected easily because the corridor was built in a way that the floor boards creaked when someone walked on them. In 1874, this building was bought and moved to the temple grounds at Amidaji in Nanuka-machi, where it still stands today.

    ๅœŸๆญขใ‚ใฎ็Ÿณ

    STEPS TO STOP SOIL FROM DRAINING
    On the wall beside the moat, there are steps that were put there to stop the soil from draining away during heavy rain or from snow melting during the spring thaw.

    QUESTION: Why did they take the roof off the bridge?

    ๅปŠไธ‹ๆฉ‹

    ROUKABASHI
    Roukabashi (meaning corridor bridge) is the red bridge leading to the castle from Ninomaru (where the tennis courts are now). The bridge used to have a roof, but it was removed because the soldiers couldn’t see the enemy well enough. The bridge was built so that not very many people could get across the moat at once. Legend has it that pulling a certain board out of the bridge made the whole thing collapse, if necessary.

    QUESTION: What kind of castle is Tsurugajou?

    ๅฑฑๅŸŽใƒปๅนณๅฑฑๅŸŽใƒปๅนณๅŸŽ

    THREE TYPES OF JAPANESE CASTLE GROUNDS
    The three types of Japanese castle grounds are YAMAJIRO (castle built on a mountain), HIRAYAMAJIRO (castle built on grounds with mountains and plains), and HIRAJIRO (castle built on a plain). Tsurugajou is considered to be a hirayamajiro because it was built on sloping grounds. This can be proven by the fact that the water level of the moat is different on opposite sides of the castle.

    QUESTION: What do you think the biggest problem would be about being at the castle during a war?

    ๆˆŠ่พฐๆˆฆไบ‰

    CONDITIONS DURING THE BOSHIN CIVIL WAR
    During the Boshin Civil War, around 5000 people were trapped in the castle for about one month. There were about 600 to 700 women included in those numbers. Imagine that you are stuck in a place with 5000 other people, especially when that place was only built to hold a few hundred people. What do you think the biggest problem would be? Toilets! Kikuko Mizushima, a member of the women’s fighting force, wrote about her experiences during that time.

    QUESTION: How would you solve the problem of water supply?

    ๆฐดๆˆธ๏ผˆๆฐด้–€๏ผ‰้•ใ„

    MITO CHIGAI
    Anyone of the people trapped inside was willing to give his or her life to protect the castle. Nevertheless, there were three problems with being confined to the castle grounds. The first was how to dispose of human waste, the second was how to get clean water, and the third was living with lice. The living conditions were disgusting. They came up with a clever way to solve the problem of getting rid of waste and getting clean water. The water was pumped in through an earthen pipe. If you go to the castle and look at the water on either side of Roukabashi (the red bridge), you will see that the water level is different on either side. This difference in water level is called “mito chigai”. It may seem like there is just one moat, but that is not the case. The moats are actually separated and the water in one moat does not touch the water in another. This mito chigai design was originally made so that boats could not sail all the way around the castle and cause a blockade. However, this design turned out to have secondary benefits in that waste could be dumped into one side and water drawn from the other.

    QUESTION: Why would they call it ninja otoshi?

    ๅฟ่€…่ฝใ—ใƒปๅฟ่€…่ฟ”ใ—

    NINJA OTOSHI or NINJA KAESHI
    This ishigaki is 20 metres high making it the tallest in eastern Japan. Because of the great size of the wall, the original builders realized that it would be difficult to repair should it be damaged. In order to make the wall less likely to crumble, two strategies were used. First of all, if the ishigaki was built perfectly straight, it would probably collapse under its own weight, so it was built with a bit of a curvature in the middle. This also protects the wall from damage from earthquakes. Secondly, the rocks in the wall were put together in a style called “GOBOUZUMI”. (Gobou are long rectangular vegetables.) Long, rectangular rocks were used with the smallest side facing outwards. This made the wall extremely stable. This wall is called ninja otoshi (falling ninja) or ninja kaeshi (tumbling ninja) because it is extremely hard to scale due to its size and anyone who tries to climb it can be shot down easily from the wall that juts out at a ninety degree angle from it (YOKOYA KAKARI).

    QUESTION: Why would they build the wall this way?

    ๆจช็ŸขๆŽ›

    YOKOYA KAKARI
    The rock walls zigzag in three spots. These zigzags are called “yokoya kakari”. This pattern was useful for defending the castle grounds against invasion. If the enemy forces were trying to scale the bank, the defenders could stand on the top of the bank and fire arrows. The zigzag meant that the defenders had a wider range of view to work with (fewer blindspots).

    BONUS: Find the seven sumiyagura on the inner walls. Extra points for naming them.

    ่ง’ๆซ“ใƒป็‰ฉ่ฆ‹ๆซ“ใƒปๅก—็ฑ ๆซ“

    SUMIYAGURA or MONOMIYAGURA or NURIKOMEYAGURA
    There were eleven sumiyagura (literally corner towers) on the banks of Tsurugajou’s grounds. Now only the bases remain, but there used to be buildings on these corner turrets. Sumiyagura served three main purposes. First, they allowed the soldiers to defend the castle walls. Second, they allowed the soldiers to attack the enemy. Third, they were used for the storage of various goods. Each sumiyagura was given a name so that the soldiers could refer to them quickly. Sometimes the purpose of a particular sumiyagura can be guessed from its name, but many of them remain a mystery. Sumiyagura were also sometimes called MONOMIYAGURA or “observation turrets”. The names of the seven sumiyagura on the inner grounds are: Chatsuboyagura (tea holder tower), Tsukimiyagura (moon-viewing tower), Hoshiiyagura (dried rice tower), Seinansumiyagura (southwest corner tower), Yumiyagura (bow tower [as in bow and arrow]), Kitasumiyagura (north corner tower), Oyumiyagura (bow tower [again, bow and arrow]). Each tower had a structure on top that was made by covering pillars with two coats of black lacquer. The structure was so dark, it was difficult for the enemy to see, so they were referred to as NURIKOMEYAGURA, or lacquered container towers.

    QUESTION: Why were the rocks cut like this?

    ่Œถๅฃทๆซ“

    CHATSUBOYAGURA
    You can almost see Iimoriyama from here. The tea stores were held in the warehouse that used to be at this site. You can see the cut marks in the walls where a wooden or metal wall would have stood. This wall was built to protect the soldiers, but there were holes in the walls so they could shoot approaching enemy.

    ้‰ขๅทป็Ÿณๅžฃ

    HACHIMAKI ISHIGAKI
    Ujisato Gamou built the rock walls on the inside of the moat on top of the natural embankments of the marsh. This kind of ishigaki is called “hachimaki ishigaki” or headband-like rock wall. This style of construction can only be found in Tohoku and Kantou (eastern Japan).

    HINT: Use the name of this yagura to help people find the koujou no tsuki monument.

    ๆœˆ่ฆ‹ๆซ“

    TSUKIMIYAGURA
    Tsukimiyagura means moon-viewing tower. The south-east part of the castle is the best position for viewing the moon. It is also the best place for taking pictures because of the perfect frame of the castle building in the background. If you climb on top of tsukimi yagura, you can see a marsh called “ushinuma”.

    ่’ๅŸŽใฎๆœˆ

    KOUJOU NO TSUKI
    There is a monument on which is written a famous poem called Koujou no Tsuki (Moon over the dilapidated castle).

    ๅœŸไบ•ๆ™ฉ็ฟ 

    DOI BANSUI
    Bansui Doi was a young man who visited the castle in Aizu Wakamatsu on a school trip. At that time, he was a high school student in Sendai. Later in his life, he was asked by the Ministry of Education to write poems for the country. He wrote a poem called Koujou no Tsuki, keeping in mind his memories of Tsurugajou and Aobajou in Sendai. He has given lectures about his thoughts while writing this poem (for example, he gave a speech at Aizu Girl’s High School in 1946).

    BONUS: Big bonus points for finding the monument.

    ่’ๅŸŽใฎๆœˆใฎๆญŒ็ข‘

    MONUMENT TO THE POEM
    The citizens of Aizu Wakamatsu donated their money to support the building of a monument to commemorate the poem, Koujou no Tsuki. There are four monuments of Doi’s poetry (in his writing) in Japan: one at Tsurugajou in Aizu Wakamatsu, one at Aobajou in Sendai (erected in 1950), one at the remains of Okajou in Takeda, Oita Prefecture, and one in Iwate Prefecture.

    QUESTION: What is special about these square slots?

    ๆŸฑ่ทก

    DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR POLES
    There are square slots carved out of the rock walls. They are clearly made to support wooden posts, but they have an interesting extra feature. If you look into the square holes, you will see that there is an opening at the bottom of the hole. This ingenious system allows water to drain out so that the bases of the wooden posts do not rot.

    ๅปบ่จญไธญ

    CONSTRUCTION SITE
    Two buildings are being reconstructed: the Hoshiiyagura and the southern hashirinagaya. The decision to rebuild these structures coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of Aizu Wakamatsu City. They are scheduled to be finished in March 2001.

    QUESTION: What do you think happened when Sen Rikkyu refused to let the shogun marry his daughter?

    ่Œถๅฎค้บŸ้–ฃ

    RINKAKU
    Sen Rikkyu was a master of tea ceremony and flower arrangement who lived in Osaka. He was the tea ceremony advisor to Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598), the shogun of Japan. The detailed rules of tea ceremony that he created were so refined that they became accepted as the standard method and continue to be used today. Sen Rikyu had a daughter who was exceptionally beautiful. The shogun, Toyotomi, asked for her hand in marriage, but was continually refused by Sen Rikyu. Sen Rikyu was eventually accused of bribery and made to kill himself by ritual disembowelment. Ujisato Gamo was the leader in Aizu at this time. He was a great fan of culture and knew about Sen Rikyu and his incredibly elegant form of tea ceremony. Gamo also knew that Rikyu’s family was also in danger of being killed (or being asked to kill themselves) and that, should it happen, would mean the end of Rikyu’s style of tea ceremony. Gamo invited one of Rikyu’s sons Sen Shoan to Aizu in order to protect him. Sen Shoan built Rinkaku, the tea room on the castle grounds, and taught and practised tea ceremony for the two years that he was being protected. Ieyasu Tokugawa (a future shogun) and Gamo eventually asked the shogun, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, to pardon Rikyu’s relatives so that Shoan could return to his home. Hideyoshi agreed and Shoan returned to Kyoto to revive his father’s techniques. The three most famous styles of tea ceremony practiced today, Omote Sen, Ura Sen, and Musha Kouji Sen, were created by Shoan’s grandchildren (Sousa, Soushitsu, and Soushu, respectively). All of this happened thanks to a forward-thinking feudal lord in Aizu, Ujisato Gamo. The tearoom remained on the grounds of the castle until after the Boshin War. When Aizu was defeated, the remains of the buildings on the castle grounds went up for sale. A local tea ceremony expert, Zenbei Morikawa, bought the tea room and moved it to his garden. In 1990, it was returned to its rightful place, perfectly preserved thanks to the Morikawa family. Originally, the tea room would not have been surrounded by walls. (The walls were placed there because entrance to the tea room costs extra.)

    ้ฆฌๆด—็Ÿณ

    UMA ARAI ISHI
    Uma means horse, arai means wash, and ishi means stone. This is a kind of stone tub that was used to wash the horses. Water was taken from a well.

    ้ฆฌๅ ด

    BABA
    Baba means “horse place” and this is where the local lord (tonosama) would keep his horses and run them. The same kind of place for horses belonging to the warriors was called Sakura-no-baba (near the current Tsurugajou Kaikan).

    QUESTION: Do you think this castle was used as a residence?

    ๅคฉๅฎˆ้–ฃใฎ็›ฎ็š„

    PURPOSE OF THE CASTLE BUILDING
    The purpose of the castle is threefold. First it is a symbol of the Aizu area. Second, it is useful as an observatory. Finally, it served as a control tower in times of battle. It is an easy mistake to think that it might have been a residence, but the fact that there were no windows is proof that it was never meant to be a comfortable palace like some of the castles in Europe.

    ๅคฉๅฎˆ้–ฃ

    TENSHUKAKU
    Tenshukaku refers to the castle building. The walls at the bottom of the castle are built in the nozurazumi style. These walls are the oldest part of the castle grounds. They were built when Ujisato Gamou restructured the castle and the grounds in 1592-93. The rocks were brought by professionals from Anou in Shiga Prefecture. The walls may look like they were built on top of the earth, but in fact they go four metres into the ground. Because they were built in the NOZURAZUMI style, they are not susceptible to water damage because the water can run through the rocks easily without collecting in certain spots and weakening the wall. The corners are also strong. The strength and good design of the walls was proven in 1611 when a large earthquake occurred in Aizu Wakamatsu. Many rock walls were toppled, but the ones supporting the castle remained standing. The original castle was made of wood, but the current castle is made of concrete.

    QUESTION: How much do you think it cost to rebuild the castle building?

    QUESTION: Why was salt a precious commodity in Aizu?

    QUESTION: How many storeys tall do you think the castle is?

    ๅ†ๅปบๅคฉๅฎˆ้–ฃ

    THE CURRENT CASTLE BUILDING
    Unfortunately, Aizu was on the losing side of the Boshin Civil War. As a result, the castle was demolished in 1874 (five years after the war ended) by the Meiji government. It was destroyed because it was in a state of disrepair, but also because it symbolized the power of the Aizu clan. It was reconstructed in 1965 with the support of the local citizens. The cost of restoring the castle was 150,000,000 yen (around $1,500,000 US). The rock walls (ishigaki) at the base of the castle are 11 metres tall, and they are from the original castle. The original walls were not built to support the weight of a concrete building, so before the current castle was built, four thick metal poles were put into the ancient walls to support the new structure. The walls of the original building were flush with the wall, but the present castle’s walls are somewhat smaller than the rock walls. Because the walls are the oldest part of the castle, every effort was made to preserve them while construction of the new building took place. Salt was stored in the cellar below the castle because the rock walls could keep it cool and dry. Salt was a precious commodity in the mountainous Aizu region. The 5-storey building above the salt cellars is 25 metres tall. Because of the height of the wall, the total height of the castle would equal the height of an 11-storey building.

    ๅคฉๅฎˆ้–ฃๅ†…

    DISPLAYS INSIDE THE CASTLE
    Displays inside the castle change regularly. These items may not be on display right now.
    1st floor – tomb-period excavations (4th to 7th centuries) and Buddhist materials
    2nd floor – antique lacquerware and pottery
    3rd & 4th floors – Boshin War items, Byakkotai displays
    5th floor – observatory
    Southern wing – folk materials

    ้Žงๅ†‘

    YOROI KABUTO
    This suit of armor was made of iron, covered with lacquer. At the front of the helmets, they have the symbol of their groups.

    ๆŸ„

    TSUKA
    The castle has a collection of various “tsuka” or “sword guards”. They served both a practical purpose (to protect the sword) and an asthetic purpose (to decorate the handle). Craftsmen were very proud of their ability to carve detailed patterns on the tsuka.

    ้ฏฑ

    SHACHIHOKO
    Shachihoko is the name of the mythical fish that decorate the top of the castle. They have the face of a tiger and the body of a fish. There is one female and one male. They are said to protect the castle from fires. The shachihoko do not appear in the famous picture of the castle just after the Boshin Civil War. However, they do appear in the original plans for the building constructed by Akinari Kato in 1639. It is possible that the shachihoko were destroyed in the war and therefore do not appear in the picture.

    ่ตคใ„ๆฌ„ๅนฒ

    AKAI RANKAN
    A red gate around the top of the castle was a feature of the original 7-storey castle built by GAMO UJISATO in the 1590s. When Akinari Katou restructured the castle into a 5-storey building during the Edo period (1639), he decided to keep the original red gate or “akai kouran”. A red gate is the sign of an old castle – most castles that were built during the Edo period do not have a red gate.

    ่ตฐใ‚Š้•ทๅฑ‹

    HASHIRI NAGAYA
    The long structure on the left side of the castle was used as a secondary headquarters when the obikuruwa was invaded. There are no windows on one side. It was also used to store weapons. In the case of the Aizu clan, the soldiers stored their personal weapons here (the structure used to run all around Honmaru). If the castle was suddenly in danger, the soldiers would run here (often in their regular clothes rather than their armor) and take up arms. As a part of the Aizu Wakamatsu 100th Anniversary celebrations, the minami (south) hashiri nagaya will be reconstructed. Since the castle was constructed in the Edo period, an essentially peaceful time, the weapons that were originally stored in the hashiri nagaya were quite dated by the time of the Boshin Civil war (two hundred years later). These old weapons (spears, swords, etc) had become treasures. Unfortunately, after the castle was defeated in 1868, the enemy forces made off with the valuable weapons and they were never to be seen in Aizu again. Unfortunately, the weapons didn’t generally end up in museums, but were hoarded in private collections, so they may be lost to the Aizu family forever.

    QUESTION: What kind of wall is kuroganemon built on?

    ้‰„้–€

    KUROGANEMON
    Kuroganemon is a gate made from wood covered in iron. The rock walls beside the gate are made in the KIRIKOMIHAGI style of construction. This style is quite modern and involves cutting the rocks to fit into the walls.

    ้‡‘็ฎ”ใฎ็“ฆ

    KINPAKU NO KAWARA
    Recently, there was a plan to build new public washrooms in different places on the castle grounds. However, a law in Japan states that no large-scale building can be done without first completing an archeological excavation. During the excavation process, the diggers found the remains of other ishigaki, traces of waterways, and ceramic roof tiles decorated with gold (kinpaku no kawara). The Agency of Culture has ordered the remains to be preserved, so the plans for new washrooms have been put on hold. These kinpaku no kawara were quite common in the Kansai area (western Japan, Kyoto, Kobe area), but they are a rare find in the Kantou/Tohoku areas (eastern Japan, Tokyo and north). The only other example in this area is Numata Castle in Gunma Prefecture. There were records of the gold roof tiles in a book called “Ujisatoki”, but no one was able to prove that they had actually existed until they were unearthed in the late 1998.

    ๆญฆ่€…ๆบœ

    MUSHADAMARI
    The mushadamari is a long thin place where the soldiers could live during battles. It would not have been used during the Edo period after Katou’s reforms to the castle, since by that time, soldiers did not live on the castle grounds.

    QUESTION: When is the hanami season?

    ่Šฑ่ฆ‹

    HANAMI
    There are approximately 900 sakura (cherry) trees on the castle grounds. These are the kind that do not bear fruit. Tourists flock to the castle during late April for cherry blossom viewing (hanami). Ostensibly, the purpose of gathering is to view the cherry blossoms, but it is really just a good excuse to relax and drink sake under the trees. There are two specific trees on the grounds that are used to gauge “blossoming” during the cherry blossom season. The cherry trees on the castle grounds were planted in 1908.

    ๆญฆ่€…่ตฐใ‚Š

    MUSHABASHIRI – GANGIZAKA
    The set of stairs near the bell tower (kanetsukidou) were built in the gangizaka style. They are very steep and difficult to climb.

    ๆข…ๅ‚ใƒปๅฅ‘ๅ‚

    UMEZAKA or CHIKIRIZAKA
    Umezaka means plum slope. There are some plum trees around this slope.

    ่ฅฟๅ‡บไธธ

    NISHIDEMARU
    Nishidemaru is a parking lot now, but it used to contain many storehouses. There were places to store many of Aizu’s traditional crafts, such as candles and lacquerware, and the tools to make them.
    QUESTION: Why would the bell tower be such a strong symbol of the Aizu clan’s power?
    QUESTION: Why would the enemy hate the sound of the bell?

    ้˜ๆ’žๅ ‚

    KANETSUKIDOU
    Kanetsukidou is a bell tower. It was built in the 1700s. It used to toll every hour on the hour, but now it only rings at 12 noon. Noon was known as “kokonotsu”, which actually means “nine”. This comes from the fact that the bell would ring three times, then pause and ring nine times, so one could easily tell without listening to all of the rings that it was 12 noon and not eleven. During the Boshin Civil War, the bell tower became a symbol of Aizu’s power because the regular tolling of the bell signalled that the castle was still in the Aizu clan’s hands. The enemy forces, on the other hand, hated the sound of the bell, and thought it sounded like mockery. They often tried (and succeeded) to kill the bell-ringer by shooting at him from the opposite side of the moat, but they were eternally frustrated by the fact that some brave soul would then run out and ring the bell exactly on time anyway. The bell was moved to the castle walls that remain near the City Hall after the war, but it was returned to its rightful place in 1941. (Incidentally, the wall that remains near the City Hall also conforms to the “usetsusakou” form.)

    ๅผ“ๆซ“

    YUMIYAGURA
    Yumiyagura means “bow tower”, and it might have been used to store bows (and possibly arrows) or other weapons.

    QUESTION: When is the Aizu Fall Festival?

    ไผšๆดฅ็ง‹็ฅญ

    AIZU FALL FESTIVAL
    This festival is held on the national holiday on September 23rd. It is also known as the “Samurai Festival”. Thousands of people dressed up in costumes from various periods of Aizu history parade through the streets on this day. The parade starts at the castle.

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