Byakkotai part 3 Nisshinkan

 

1. Never disobey a superior.

2. Always bow in presence of a superior.

3. Never act as a coward.

4.  Never eat outside.

5.Never engage in a conversation with a women.

(Some of the rules students had to respect)


 



After visiting the memorial site on Iimori hill we headed for the castle. We quickly walked around the ground and took pictures of the cherry blossom. The rain was still pouring. We then made our way to Nisshinkan Samurai School. The school attended by the Byakkotai (white tiger brigades).







Just as we pulled in, the rain stopped. What a relief! We made our way inside the school. First off was a movie explaining the historical background:

The Nisshinkan school was founded by Genko Tanaka in 1803. During his lifetime he introduced wide scale political changes to the clan. His personal motto was "The Aizu clan's prosperity depends on educating its people." So he started the Nisshinkan school on the west side of Tsurugajo Castle. It was a school set up to educate the boys of the samurai rank retainers from the age of 10. The boys studied confucianism, mathematics, astronomy, and medical science using Japanese sources and information gathered from the Dutch. They also had to train in the martial arts, archery, spear-throwing, shooting, horse-riding and swimming. The school had its own swimming pool and observatory and it is said to have been in the top 3 out of 300 such clan schools in Japan at that time. (Visit this web site for more information)

The school was used to film the most recent movie about Byakkotai. You can watch here a preview. Unfortunately I must say that other than the historical aspect, this 4 hours long movie has very little to go for. The acting and the special effect are especially horrible.

Then we walked the grounds and explored all the building.  We didn't have much time before closing. We had to hurry. But before leaving, we painted our very own Akabeko!

Akabeko (赤べこ, Akabeko, red cow) is a traditional toy from the Aizu region of Japan. The toy is made from two pieces of papier-mâché-covered wood, shaped and painted to look like a red cow or ox. When the toy is moved, the head thus bobs up and down and side to side. Aizu legend claims that the toys are based on a real cow that lived in the 9th century and showed its devotion to Buddha by willing its soul away or by refusing to leave the site of a temple it had helped to construct. Akabeko has become one of Fukushima Prefecture's most famous crafts and a symbol of the Aizu region.

 Before departing the wonderful city of Aizu, we stopped for lunch. Konnyaku, fish and meat grilled over fire, covered by a yuzu-miso sauce.

Byakkotai part 2

 

 

 

 

Down the rabbit hole!

As they fought to defeat the enemy, the Byakkotai had to retreat. They were fighting in familiar territory. What was once their playground was now a battlefield. They headed for a secret passage way through the mountain. And that is how they reach ed Iiemori hills. Still to this day, the secret passage way remains. It is but a hole on a cliff. But it stands as a testimony of the story that unfolded.

 

 

 

 

There are many sights to see between the secret passage way and the memorial monument. The most striking one is perhaps the round temple. In which you go up and down without ever changing direction. It is but one straight path!   

Aizu-Wakamatsu The Byakkotai Story

The truth is that I had never heard about Byakkotai. As a matter of fact, the chances are : neither have you! 

Unless you are a hard core Tomohisa Yamashita fan and happened to have watched the 4 hours made for TV Japanese movie. (Which I had never heard of either before traveling to my friend family house in Chiba).

My friend lives in the prefecture of Chiba near Narita city but her father is from Fukushima. He's an Aizu boy ;-) Knowing that I love history, he had planed on taking us to his hometown and show me all the sight the great city of Aizu-Wakamatsu had to offer. Long before going, my friend had been telling me all about it. She would always mentioned the Byakkotai. I had no idea what she was talking about. All I had in my mind was Yoshitsune!










We got up really early one April morning and took of in the family minivan for Aizu. outside : pouring rain. We drove for about 4 hours and reached Aizu. We first made our way to the famous hill where the memorial for the Byakotai lays. There stands a little museum. And that is when I understood what Byakkotai was...

In short : such as Hiroshima and the children peace memorial. Byakkotai is the synonym of the infamy of war. Children and war. Kids that shouldn't have been sent to war and for lack of better knowledge, committed ceremonial suicide thinking they had been defeated.  Teenagers who had been train by the best. And who did the best thing they could do when they saw the castle, they were meant to defend, burning. What they did not know was that the castle was not engulf in flame and that they had not been defeated yet.

So there I stood. At the top of the hill. Looking over 19 graves. With the castle standing strong in the valley. (It has since been rebuilt). The cherry blossoms. The pouring rain. It hit me harder than the Atomic bomb site in Hiroshima. 

Probably because the site was so modest. Probably because although they are respected, they are in no way heroes. 

Fools. 

That's what they were. Yet you can't help but understand the reason behind their act. The ultimate testimony of pride. Everyday I see kids. Teenagers. With no sense of pride. With no integrity. Teens that have no directions or nothing they hold near and dear to their heart and would give their life to protect. 

Granted, Byakkotai represent youth foolishness just the same  way Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet does. But Byakkotai also represent the ultimate act of loyalty. Would you do the same for the country you love?