Amidaji Temple, where the Aizu clan's war dead from the Boshin War are buried and where the grave of Shinsengumi member Saito Hajime is located (Fukushima Prefecture)

Nanukamachi is located on the west side of the city center of Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture

During the feudal era, the Echigo Kaido and Yonezawa Kaido roads passed through the area, and inns and restaurants lined the roads, and in modern times, from the mid-Showa period, the area became Aizu's most bustling downtown area.Today, the area is a popular tourist spot with a row of retro Western-style storehouses and wooden buildings that exude the romance of the Taisho era

At Amidaji Temple, located in a corner of Nanokamachi, the graves of Aizu samurai the grave of Saito Hajime (Fujita Goro), the leader of the Shinsengumi's third unit, who fought alongside the Aizu clan against the new government forces .

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Amidaji Temple, a Jodo sect temple founded by the monk Ryozen

Ryozen Shonin, who founded Amidaji Temple, was originally the head priest of Zendo-ji Temple in Asaka County, Mutsu Province (present-day Koriyama City to Nihonmatsu City area). However, one day he fell ill and visited Higashiyama Onsen in Aizu for hot spring treatment

At that time, he was encouraged to move to Aizu by Itakura Shuri, a retainer of the Aizu Gamo clan, and it is said that Amidaji Temple was founded in 1603 thanks to the efforts of many people, including Itakura Shuri and Kurata Tamezane

At that time, Amidaji Temple was a magnificent temple with various buildings, including the Buddha Hall, the dormitory for the generals, the abbot's chamber, and a small temple, and it flourished with many people gathering there

However, during the time of the fourth head priest, Ryoton, the temple suffered a major fire and all of its buildings were lost. As the years passed, the temple faced many problems, including conflicts with parishioners and other temples in the castle town, and gradually fell into decline. By the end of the Edo period, the temple had fallen into such dilapidated condition that it would be difficult to restore it

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Designated as a burial site for Aizu clan soldiers killed in the Boshin War

During the final days of the Edo period, the Boshin War (Aizu War) was fought between the forces of the former shogunate and the new government, resulting in many casualties on both sides

After Tsuruga Castle was surrendered on September 22, 1868 (November 6 in the solar calendar), the new government established the Civil Affairs Bureau and issued a notice to bury the bodies left inside and outside Tsuruga Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle). However, the burial work was completed in just nine days, from October 7 to 15, and the burials were not carried out satisfactorily

While the war dead of the new government forces were buried with great care in the Western Army Cemetery established adjacent to Yuzuji Temple, the bodies of the war dead of the Aizu Domain were buried shabbily, which caused various problems and later led to orders to rebury them (to move their burial sites). One of the places to rebury them was Amidaji Temple, which was in ruins at the time

The renovation work on Amidaji Temple took place over a period of approximately two months, from February 24th (April 5th in the Gregorian calendar) to April 22nd (June 2nd in the Gregorian calendar) in 1869 (Meiji 2), and it is said that the remains of approximately 1,300 people were buried there

The cemetery is currently off-limits, and the Aizu Matsudaira family crest, the "Aizu Aoi Crest," can be seen on the fence that has been installed.

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The grave of Saito Hajime (Fujita Goro), the leader of the Shinsengumi's third unit

The Shinsengumi are so popular that they are still featured in various media, including movies, novels, and anime Saito Hajime (played by Fujita Goro), the leader of the Shinsengumi's third unit, is also located here at Amidaji Temple.

The Shinsengumi participated in the Boshin War as part of the former Shogunate army, and fought in battles including the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868, the Battle of Koshu Katsunuma in March, and the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle in April, before moving north and entering the area around Wakamatsu Castle

After that, they came under the command of the Aizu clan and took part in the Battle of Shirakawaguchi and the Battle of Mother Pass. As defeat gradually became more and more likely, Toshizo Hijikata and other members of the Shinsengumi decided to move north to fight in Shonai and Sendai

However, Saito remained in Aizu with a dozen Shinsengumi members, saying, "I cannot abandon the Aizu clan, which had protected the Shinsengumi," and continued to resist the new government forces

Even after the Aizu clan surrendered and opened the castle grounds on September 22, 1868 (November 6 in the Gregorian calendar), the fighting continued, and they finally surrendered after being persuaded by an emissary sent by the Aizu clan's lord, Matsudaira Katamori

After surrendering, he was confined as a prisoner of war and moved to Tonan Domain (present-day Aomori Prefecture), traveling with Aizu samurai. During his stay in Tonan Domain, he was adopted into the Fujita family of Aizu Domain and changed his name to Fujita Goro .

He later moved to Tokyo and worked for the Metropolitan Police Department, and participated in the Seinan War that broke out in Kyushu in 1877 as a police officer

After retiring from the Metropolitan Police Department, he served as a kendo instructor at Tokyo Higher Normal School and as the head security officer at the Tokyo Education Museum attached to the school, before dying of a stomach ulcer in Tokyo in 1915 at the age of 72

In accordance with his will, which stated that he wanted to be buried in Aizu after his death, he was buried in the Fujita family graveyard at Amidaji Temple

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The Gosankai tower from Tsuruga Castle was relocated and reconstructed as the temporary main hall of the temple

the Osankai (third floor) was relocated to serve as a temporary main hall for Amidaji Temple, which was destroyed in a fire during the Boshin War

From the outside, it appears to be a three-story building, but inside it has four floors, and it is said that it was used as a lookout point as well as a place for secret meetings and secret conversations

Originally a watchtower for Tsuruga Castle, it was moved and reconstructed with the addition of a karahafu (gabled roof) that was part of the entrance to the Honmaru Palace, in order to give it the appearance of a temporary main hall

a valuable building that is the only surviving remnant of Tsuruga Castle from that time .

Amidaji Temple <Information>

• Name: Shokakusan Jikoin Amidaji Temple
• Address: 4-20 Nanukamachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, 965-0044
• Phone number: -
• Official URL: Aizuwakamatsu Nanukamachi Street – Amidaji Temple

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