Article Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle

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Thanks for sharing your article. I have added a link to the JREF article on Tsurugajo.

Tsuruga Castle in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, had its main keep reconstructed back in September 1965. The place has turned into one of the prefecture's major draws, with the white walls providing a striking contrast to the cherry blossoms in spring and the lush greenery that follows. Keeping the grounds in shape—moats, stone walls, the whole complex—takes serious work, and resources are tight. Local government and private groups are now coordinating efforts to preserve the historic identity of the Aizu area. Even with lingering September heat, visitors kept showing up. The castle got a boost in 2011 when its red-tile roof was restored, cementing its role as one of Fukushima's tourism anchors.


Behind the scenes, though, problems are piling up. The moats are filling with sediment, and the stone walls are becoming increasingly unstable. No major dredging work has occurred since the Edo period ended in 1867, resulting in layers of leaves and soil settling in the water and slowing circulation. Ivy and other plants have rooted into the stonework, with trees now sprouting from cracks—early warning signs of structural trouble if nothing's done.

Yahei Yumita, the head of a nongovernmental organization working to preserve Tsuruga Castle, warns against postponing action. The organization has removed accumulated sediment using heavy machinery several times in the past. With the city's approval, the group worked from June to July this year to clear roughly 7,400 square meters of weeds and remove fallen trees from the water. The work improved the scenery, though it covered only about 20% of the total area needing attention. Recognizing the limits of what a single group can do, the organization is also working to raise public awareness by holding history symposiums and conducting cleanup activities. "Tsuruga Castle is not just for tourists — it's for local citizens as well. We must expand our moves to preserve it," Yumita, 73, said. Efforts to support these initiatives have begun to spread across the prefecture. So far, seven companies have contributed to the organization through Toho Bank's donation-based private bonds launched in June last year. Part of the ¥750 million in bond issuance fees has been donated to the NGO, eflecting growing public interest.

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While efforts to preserve the castle are underway, boosting tourist numbers in winter also poses a challenge for the city. Akari Saito, a tourism adviser at the Aizuwakamatsu Tourism Bureau, was already busy in September coming up with strategies to attract visitors in the coldest time of the year. In fiscal 2024, the number of monthly visitors to the castle's main keep dropped sharply in winter compared with in the summer. Visitor numbers totalled 22,499 in December, 20,727 in January, and just 16,437 in February, compared with 77,214 in August, the most popular month.

February's drop was partly due to record snowfall in the city. In 2024, which ended in March, the number of foreign tourists visiting the castle reached a record high of 32,970, with a notable increase in visitors from other parts of Asia.

I saw this castle several decades ago. It was the first of a number of modern, reconstructed castles I've been to - and it probably planted the seeds of resentment that have grown inside me against these castle "replicas".

But now that I am back in the States, I read these articles and think how nice it would be to visit in the late winter, before the crowds start showing up. I think I'd have a bit more sympathy for these ersatz castles.