This past week I went to the castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu. As an international student, Fukushima prefecture has given me a free pass good for admission into many historic sights in Fukishima, so I was able to enter the castle without paying the $5 entrance fee. Inside there are many relics and photographs of the old inhabitants of the castle.
The castle as it exists today was reconstructed in 1965. Around the base of the castle keep there are ruins of buildings that were not reconstructed as well as a large embankment, moat, and bridge.
I spent some time walking around the castle grounds and there were many things to see, including some small shrines and neat looking trees.
A Japanese friend of mine who is living in Aizu said that nearly all of the trees around the castle are Sakura trees. In the fall this isn't apparent, but in the spring there will be endless cherry blossoms. I had heard that cherry blossoms are very popular in Japan, but it looks like there will be more than I was expecting in the spring.
When I went to the castle I was with a group of mostly other international students and a very patient Japanese friend. We took some group photos and went to a tea ceremony together.
Tsuruga is very pretty.
