Samurai Spirit in Fukushima

I always wanted to explore Fukushima so I headed north from Tokyo station for a short ride on the Tohoku Shinkansen Toward Koriyama station. It's only about an hour and half. and is a great way to enjoy a half day trip for a little history and an overnight stay at a nice onsen without exhausting yourself. I enjoyed my bento in the spacious seats as I looked forward to my trip.

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One of the most renowned samurai regions, Fukushima has captivating history and culture to share with visitors. With full days of castles, training grounds, arts, lodging, food and drinks, the fun and educational trip to Shirakawa, Aizu, and Nihonmatsu gave us all a clear picture of what it meant to be a samurai back in the 18th and 19th century in Japan. Moreover, we were able to see and learn how the last Aizu sect of samurai beautifully and valiantly closed the curtain on arguably the most iconic periods in Japanese history.

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Through the years, I’ve had many people “back home” ask me about Samurai Spirit and ninjas. Is there any place in Japan left where one can find these things? This is a kind of question very difficult to answer. Of course, it is possible to find museums that feature many of the tools and stories of their history. It is also easy to find places to cosplay and imagine what it was like in an earlier era. You can also find many arts, crafts, and even spiritual practices like Zen meditation where the spirit is rekindled, albeit with contemporary modifications.

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My quest was simple, escape the incessant noise and constant attention grabbing craziness that is life in the modern world and especially Tokyo. Don’t get me wrong I love living in Tokyo. It has been my home for 17 years but every once in awhile I need to retreat and gain a fresh perspective. When I was invited to go on a four day Samurai Spirit Tour in Fukushima I was all in. As I toured Fukushima it was obvious there was so much more to offer in Fukushima than a break from Tokyo. I was tasked with trying to discover the Samurai Spirit.

Read the full post: http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4563

We began our junket in Shirakawa, Fukushima prefecture. The leaves were turning and the scenery was beautiful. First on our stop was the castle. The pine trees on the grounds Shirakawa Komine Castle were immaculate and the main gate was imposing. What I learned on this trip was that what I had previously thought were Japanese castles were not the castles but actually just the watch towers or keeps called Tenshukaku which can be translated to something like, "pavilion to protect the heavens". But all in all, it is these fortified keeps that are the most impressive.

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Soma-nomaoi (literally means wild horse chase in Soma) is a traditional Shinto ritual and local festival in Soma City, held every July for three days, its history over 1000 years. Originally developed as a military training and now it's widely known as the biggest samurai on horse festival in Japan. It's also designated as the national intangible cultural asset and always a hand made festival by the local people. Every year, people across Japan, even from all over the world, visit this small town to see this once-in-a-year spectacle.

Read the full post: http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4130