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A preserved samurai estate featuring a teahouse, magistrate's office, a warehouse, and a rice mill in addition to the Aizu chief retainer's house. There is also a restaurant and a gift shop, and visitors can participate in a variety of hands-on activities throughout the year.
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御薬園, Aizu Matsudaira's Royal Garden
Built in 1670 as a garden for a teahouse for the lords of Aizu. The garden is well known for growing medicinal herbs - around 400 kinds of herbs are still grown.
赤べこ製造処番匠
One of Aizu's most famous souvenir, the Akabeko, is produced here, and they offer visitors the opportunity to paint their own Akabeko. Alternatively, you can paint a bell of the town's mascot, Aka-bee. No reservation necessary. They also have a shop where you can buy Akabeko and other Aizu souvenirs.
福島県立博物館, fukushima kenritsu hakubutsukan
Prefectural museum of natural history, history and culture.
白虎隊自刃の地
A statue and monument built over the sight where the 20 Byakkotai soldiers saw the burning castle and committed ritual suicide however, it is believed that only 16 of them succeeded here. Three of them are thought to have died later either in battle or suicide elsewhere and one was rescued as he was attempting to kill himself here and nursed back to health. It was this survivor who recounted the story that people know today.
ローマ市寄贈の碑
A monument made from the pillar of a temple that was uncovered from the ruins of Pompeii dedicated in 1928 by Benito Mussolini who found the story of the Byakkotai inspiring. It reads, "Rome, Mother of Civilization, pays its undying respect to the brave Byakkotai by displaying the axe of the Fascist Party symbol, representing the authority of ancient Rome, and commemorating the thousand-year-old ancient symbol of eternal greatness". On the reverse side, it originally said, "Dedicated to the Spirit of Bushido", but this was etched out by the occupied forces after WWII. Just like the German monument, this one was removed and later returned, and is viewed as a timeless dedication, connecting the greatness of Aizu to the greatness of ancient Rome over its ties to Mussolini. There is a lot of pride in foreign recognition of Aizu's great warriors. Its historic importance as a relic from Pompeii also distracts from its donors.
白虎隊ドイツ記念碑
A monument gifted to the city by Hasso von Etzdorf, a diplomat from Nazi Germany who was inspired by the story of the Byakkotai and felt it spoke to the German condition of the time. It reads, "To the young samurai warriors of Aizu". The monument was removed by occupying American forces after WWII however, it was returned after the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty restored sovereignty to Japan. This monument is viewed positively as showcasing that the story of the Byakkotai has international renown, as a timeless gift from Germany rather than a gift specifically from one regime. To this point, the reason given for its return to Iimoriyama along with the Roman monument was to "once again connect the spirit of Aizu to the world".