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During the Boshin War, many tragic stories have been told about the Aizu clan, which was considered an enemy of the imperial court
However, in Fukushima Prefecture, other feudal domains also formed an alliance to oppose the government forces, and fierce battles were fought in various places such as Nihonmatsu, Shirakawaguchi, and Hamadori
Aizu Clan: The loyal spirit of picking up chestnuts from the fire
Tsuruga Castle (Aizuwakamatsu City)
Hoshina Masayuki, the first lord of the Aizu domain, was the half-brother of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, and was a highly trusted figure who often assisted his brother as a key figure in the shogunate
As a branch of the Tokugawa clan, they were considered a "relative clan and a family clan," and during the reign of the third head of the clan, Masakata, they changed their surname to Matsudaira
15 Aizu Family Precepts
The 15 family precepts left by the founder, Masayuki, pledged absolute loyalty to the Tokugawa Shogunate, and were absolute precepts in the Aizu domain, with all retainers reciting them in the castle three times a year
This family motto, which is said to be a model for samurai, led the Aizu clan to become embroiled in the central role of the Boshin War
The Road to the Aizu War
The ninth feudal lord, Katamori, was a wise and wise ruler who worked hard to reform the domain's government
In 1862, in recognition of the Aizu clan's loyalty to the shogunate, he was appointed Kyoto Shugoshi
After moving to Tokyo, Katamori used the Shinsengumi to maintain order in the city, but the crackdown on pro-imperial and anti-foreign patriots and conflict with the Choshu clan led to the Aizu War
Even after he retired from his position as Kyoto Shugoshi, he continued to influence political affairs together with Tokugawa Yoshinobu and his younger brother Matsudaira Sadaaki, the lord of the Kuwana domain and Kyoto shoshidai (deputy governor)
After the Kinmon Incident and two Choshu Expeditions, they were declared enemies of the Imperial Court after losing the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and returned to Aizu to fight against the new government forces, which had become the official army
The Fall of Tsuruga Castle and the Byakkotai
In 1868 (Keio 4), the Imperial Army broke through Bonari Pass, one of the entrance points into the Aizu Basin, and entered the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle)
Mother Pass Battlefield
The Aizu clan, which had dispersed its main forces to other points of invasion, also deployed its reserve force, the Boys' Corps (Byakkotai), but was defeated
Tsuruga Castle fell, and tragedies occurred, including the suicide of the Byakkotai and the suicide of the entire family of the chief retainer, Saigo Tanomo, and are still talked about today
Battle of Shirakawaguchi Battle for Komine Castle, Shirakawa Domain (Shogunate territory)
Shirakawa Domain is famous for Matsudaira Sadanobu, the leader of the Kansei Reforms, but after the downfall of the Abe family, who had been the domain's lord, it became a territory directly controlled by the shogunate, and during wars it was managed by the government army
Komine Castle Ruins
Saigo Tanomo, a chief retainer of the Aizu clan, led the former Shogunate forces and captured Shirakawa-Komine Castle, but it was recaptured by the Imperial forces. The former Shogunate forces continued their attack for three months but were unable to recapture it
Shirakawa-Komine Castle Ruins <Information>
Name: Shirakawa-Komine Castle Ruins
Address: Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, 961-0074
The Tanagura Domain fought bravely despite being outnumbered
Tanagura Castle Ruins (Kamegajo Park)
The Tanagura Domain, which was located at the same entrance to Oshu as the Shirakawa Domain, fought bravely at the Battle of Shirakawaguchi together with its lord, Abe Masashige, who had been transferred from Shirakawa, but Tanagura Castle, which was poorly defended, was attacked by 800 men of the government army led by Itagaki Taisuke and fell
The Nihonmatsu domain was ruled by Niwa Nagakuni, a descendant of Niwa Nagahide, a senior retainer of Oda Nobunaga, and was a powerful domain in the Nakadori region with a fief of 100,000 koku
While dispatching his main force to the Battle of Shirakawaguchi, he was attacked by the government army that had taken Tanagura Castle and the Hamadori area, and although he fought alone while the surrounding domains surrendered, Nihonmatsu Castle fell
Statue of the Nihonmatsu Youth Corps
The almost complete annihilation of the Boys' Corps (which did not have a name at the time but was named later) that was mobilized on this occasion is passed down as a tragedy on a par with that of the Byakkotai
Nihonmatsu Castle Ruins <Information>
Name: Nihonmatsu Castle Ruins
Address: 3-164-1 Gurouchi, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, 964-0904
The suffering of small pro-imperial domains: Miharu Domain and Moriyama Domain
Within the households of both domains that fought alongside the Nihonmatsu domain, the majority of opinion before the war was "loyalist" and in favor of the government army, but they succumbed to pressure from large domains such as the Sendai domain and joined the Alliance of the Satsuma and Choshu Clans
Miharu Castle Ruins (Maizuru Castle)
Opinions differ on the decision of the two domains
Both domains are said to have abandoned Nihonmatsu by surrendering without bloodshed, but they are praised locally for their calm judgment in protecting their domains from the flames of war
Google Map (Miharu Castle Ruins)
Google Map (Moriyama Castle Ruins)
Hamadori area from the Battle of Iwaki - Izumi Domain, Yunagaya Domain, Iwakidaira Domain, Soma Nakamura Domain
All of the Hamadori region was made up of small domains, with the larger Iwakidaira and Soma Nakamura domains each having only about 60,000 koku
Iwakidaira Castle Ruins
The Oshu-Uetsu Alliance Army continues to be at a disadvantage
With the support of the Sendai domain, each domain tried to prevent the landing at Hiragata in Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), but failed
The government forces captured Iwakidaira Castle and other Hamadori domains one after another, and with the surrender of the Soma Nakamura domain, they reached the domain border with the Sendai domain
Google Map (Izumijinya Ruins)
Google Map (Yunagaya Castle Ruins)
Google Map (Iwakidaira Castle Main Keep Site)
Google Map (Soma Nakamura Castle Ruins)
Fukushima and Shimotedori Domains, small domains in the Nakadori region at the mercy of large domains
Both domains, located in Fukushima City and Date City near the border with Miyagi Prefecture, were under pressure from the Sendai domain
Two small domains drawn into the war
The Fukushima domain joined the alliance after the government army's staff officer, Sera Shuzo, was assassinated by a Sendai domain samurai within its territory
In addition, it was revealed that while the chief retainer of the Shimoteki Domain had signed the agreement to join the Alliance of the Satsuma and Choshu Clans, the domain's lord, Tachibana Taneyuki, was moving to join the government army, and the domain came under attack from the Sendai Domain
Google Map (Fukushima Castle Ruins)
Google Maps (Site of Shimotedo Jinya)
summary
The Aizu Domain, which could be said to have been a major player in the Boshin War, had an organization called "Ju" made up of the children of the domain's samurai, and education was based on the seven "Ju no Okite" rules that were based on family precepts. The "Ju no Okite," famous for its line, "What should not be done should not be done," is still used in education today, and is even quoted in the "Aizukko Declaration" established by Aizuwakamatsu City
Articles from other prefectures on the Boshin War and the Oshu-Uetsu Alliance
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
![SATONO](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SATONO-150x150.jpg.webp "The new tourist train "SATONO" runs smoothly through Fukushima and Yamagata prefectures!")
