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Historic site · Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
Mount Iimori (Iimoriyama)
Hill northeast of downtown Aizuwakamatsu with the graves of the Byakkotai young samurai and the Sazaedo, a 1796 wooden pagoda with a double-spiral ramp where those who ascend don’t cross those who descend.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
A look at the place
Mount Iimori (Iimoriyama) in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
Click the picture to enlarge it.
Discover
About Mount Iimori (Iimoriyama)
Mount Iimori is a low hill east of Aizuwakamatsu, about 3 km from Tsuruga Castle. In the Boshin War of 1868, twenty young members of the Byakkotai, Aizu’s unit of 16- and 17-year-old samurai, retreated there after a battle. Seeing smoke near the castle, they believed it had fallen and killed themselves; one survived and told the story.
The graves of the nineteen youths stand at the top, in a row on a terrace with incense always burning. Beside them, a viewpoint faces the castle in the direction they looked. Along the way there are monuments donated by other countries, such as a column sent by Italy in the 1920s, and a private museum about the Byakkotai.
On the hillside is the Sazaedo, built in 1796 as a Buddhist temple and designated an Important Cultural Property. It is a three-story hexagonal wooden pavilion with a double-spiral ramp: those who ascend by one spiral and descend by the other never meet. It once housed 33 images of the goddess Kannon so that the climb would be equivalent to a pilgrimage.
The ascent to the top is by a long stairway or by a paid moving staircase beside it. Near the base, the Tonoguchi-zeki channel exits a tunnel in the rock, where the youths are said to have passed during their flight. The visit pairs well with the castle and the Aizu Bukeyashiki via the loop buses.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About one hour, including the graves, the viewpoint and the Sazaedo.
Best time
In the morning or late afternoon, when the hill is less crowded. In April the cherry trees along the path; in October and November the autumn foliage. In winter the stairway may have snow. Check Sazaedo’s opening hours before you go.
How to get there
From Aizuwakamatsu Station the loop buses stop at the base of Mount Iimori in about 10 minutes. From the base it’s a few minutes of stairs or a moving staircase to the top. There is parking at the foot of the hill.
Tip
Climb the stairway and descend via the Sazaedo path to see the pavilion mid-descent. Inside, notice that the ramp never crosses: ascend one side and descend the other.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Mount Iimori (Iimoriyama)
What happened at Mount Iimori?
In the 1868 Boshin War, young Byakkotai samurai saw smoke near the castle, believed it had fallen, and killed themselves on the mountain. The graves of nineteen of them are on the summit.
What is the Sazaedo?
It is a wooden pavilion from 1796 with a double spiral ramp: those ascending and descending follow separate paths and do not cross. It is an Important Cultural Property.
Is the climb to Mount Iimori difficult?
It is a stairway of a few minutes. There is a paid escalator beside it for those who prefer not to climb on foot.
Is Mount Iimori far from Tsuruga Castle?
It is about 3 km to the northeast. The circular buses connect the two in about 15 minutes.
Beyond the guide
