BUKEYASHIKI Samurai Residence (Aizu Wakamatsu)
* The samurai of the Edo period (17th to 19th century) lived in large residences called bukeyashiki. This particular bukeyashiki is built on seven acres and includes 38 rooms. The original buildings were burned 130 years ago during the Boshin Civil War. They were restored about 20 years ago and took two years to rebuild. The rooms have been decorated in Edo period style.
* [LAVATORY] The lavatory has a surface area of close to 55 square feet.
* [RICE MILL] The rice cleaning mill is 180 years old. It was originally from Shirakawa. It is water- powered, has 16 stone mills, and it can pound 960kg of rice per day.
[MONEY AT THE RICE MILL] Japanese people have a habit of making a monetary offering at shrines for good luck. People visiting here offer money to pray for a good harvest.
* [KITCHEN] The kitchen has strong cross beams to support heavy snowfall.
* [UPSIDE-DOWN SCREEN PAINTING] The byobu (or screen painting) is placed upside-down to show that their has been a death in the family. This is called gyakubyobu (gyaku means reverse).
* [SCENE OF YOUNG WOMEN] While one retainer (Saigo Tanomo) went to battle, his wife and children killed themselves.
* [PAPERS ON WALLS AND PILLARS] When people come here for sightseeing, they put papers bearing their names on the walls as a good luck charm or just in memory.
* [INRO] An Inro is 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 " ".
* [NAKAHATA JINJA] This shrine was moved from Nakahata village. Gunjiro Matsudaira (judge) lived there. It has been designated as important piece of cultural property.
* [TEA CEREMONY] Chanoyu, or the tea ceremony, is not a hobby, but an aesthetic ritual. It follows rules set by Sen-no-Rikyu. His son, Shoan, introduced the tea ceremony to Aizu. Shoan built the tearoom, Rinkaku, at Tsurugajo.
* Samurai were the warrior elite of the feudalistic society that existed in Japan for hundreds of years. Samurai first appeared about one thousand years ago, and survived as a class until the Meiji Restoration of the late 1800s. At the local level, many samurai assumed administrative responsibilities in addition to their duties as warriors, which added to their power. In the Aizu region, military power was concentrated in the castle city of Aizu Wakamatsu, with many samurai being loyal to the local feudal lord (daimyo) who resided there. A reproduction of an important old samurai residence is one of a group of Edo era buildings known as bukeyashiki. The buildings are open to the public and they provide the visitor with a closer look into the lives of these warriors and their families.
* Of the Aizu samurai, the most important was the chief retainer or karou. Accordingly, this influential warrior's residence reflected the importance of his position. Bukeyashiki is modelled after a karou's residence. The grounds include 38 rooms which contain a number of artifacts such as ceremonial clothing and the traditional weapons of the Edo era. One large elaborate room was reserved for the sole purpose of receiving the daimyo himself. The kitchen, however, has no ceiling, revealing the huge pillars and beams which were necessary to support the roof under the heavy weight of the Aizu snowfall. The original building was burned down during the Boshin Civil War of 1868, the conflict that saw the end of the ruling samurai class.
* Another interesting building near the samurai residence is an old Aizu clan outpost. It was first constructed in 1837 and served as the administrative headquarters for the clan's holdings in what is today the town of Yabuki, south of Koriyama. A representative of the clan would use the building as an office of sorts, from which local affairs were looked after and taxes collected. It is the last remaining building of its type in the Tohoku region and has been designated an "Important Cultural Asset" by the prefecture.
* Bukeyashiki also boasts a chashitsu, or tea room, modeled on one that existed near Tsurugajou in the heart of Aizu Wakamatsu. A good example of the sparse, unadorned constructions popular for tea ceremony during the Edo era, the building is small and unassuming. Samurai, trained to value spartan simplicity over luxury, found these tea rooms quite appealing, it seems.
* The "Warrior History" building was first constructed in the early 1800s in the city of Fukushima to be used in the production of silk. In has since been moved to its present site at bukeyashiki, where it now houses a collection of armour and weapons such as swords, muskets, and spears. The armour worn by the Edo era warriors is quite interesting, albeit surprisingly small by today's standards.
* Besides the numerous buildings of bygone days, a number of small shrines and statues have been brought to the site as well, including the image of a frog that, it is said, will provide safe passage home to those who honour it. Other areas of bukeyashiki are devoted to the display of traditional crafts and industries of the Aizu region.
* All in all, bukeyashiki is an interesting and informative destination, providing insight into the spirit of bushido (literally, the way of the warrior), the strict moral code followed by the samurai. Additionally, it promotes understanding of the Aizu area's rich cultural heritage while giving visitors a better idea of lifestyles in feudal Japan. When climbing the stairs of bukeyashiki to the beat of the drums that greet new visitors, one cannot help but feel transported back to another day and age.
Bus Access: Platform 4 or 5 at the Aizu Wakamatsu Station, In Front of the Post Office
Cost: Adults 850 yen, Junior and High School Students 550 yen, Elementary Students 450 yen
Contact Information: 965- Fukushima-ken, Aizu Wakamatsu-shi, Higashiyama-machi, Innai
TEL: 0242-28-2525, FAX: 0242-28-2515