Boshin Footsteps: A Tohoku Adventure

In 2016, I endeavoured to go on my first solo trip. The destination was Japan of course, but (being a 24-year-old who had just finished her first year of uni) it had to be meaningful.

I cannot remember how this came about, but I had in mind that I wanted to go to Aizu, the symbol of Tokugawa supporters in the 1860s (had I known that then? I am not so sure), and I wanted to pay my respect to Tokugawa Ieyasu in Nikko. So here I was, planning a trip that would take me to Tohoku (Northern Honshu) and follow some of the most important battles of the Boshin War (albeit in a questionable order, train lines and budgeting being the causes of this affront).

I set out from Tokyo and spent a night in Nikko. This did indeed change many things, and most importantly it made me connect the Tokugawa as a family to the men who fought against the Imperial army in 1868-69. It may seem obvious to me now, but the relationship between the Tokugawa as daimyo, the political structure of the Bakufu, the connection of the clan to its founder Ieyasu, and the diversity of individuals who fought in the civil war made the reasons behind loyalty, or lack thereof, are actually rather convoluted. 

From there I headed to Sendai where the Date clan had welcome Enomoto's navy when they fled north from Edo. And since the foundations of the Edo period lay on Sengoku figures, I visited Date Masamune's mausoleum. 

After Sendai, I 'bulleted' to Hakodate with the typhoon that had been following me from Tokyo finally catching up. I (naively) attempted a walk towards Mt-Hakodate which beautifully separates the city and the sea, only to be forced to return to my guesthouse knee-deep in water and hair tangled around my broken umbrella. Fortunately, a German student saw me and dragged me to a local sento where I spent the evening soaking in their sheltered outdoor bath. There was still hope for my historical endeavours in this part of Japan! The typhoon was gone the next day and I headed to the Goryokaku fortress. And what an architectural surprise that was (back then I refused to watch videos or even look at pictures of places I was going to visit so I had only read about it, and no amount of reading can prepare you for the size and structure of it).

Following this intense yet short day in Hakone, I finally headed to Aizuwakamatsu. This was delightful (especially the tiny and unexpected Shinsengumi museum in an antique shop on the side of the road). The reconstructed castle is splendid, and there are still structures around Aizu that pre-date the Meiji era. I'll soon write a short article on the wonder that Sazae temple is.

Well, this was an unusual and lengthy personal article that I originally started writing as an introduction to the Goryokaku. Apologies if you expected history, but since I have to keep my articles short, you'll have to wait until next time for more information on the fortress!