EXPERIENCE

The former building of the castle was built nearly 630 years ago by Naomori Ashina; at that time it was named the Higashi Kurokawa Hall. The castle survived a brutal one-month battle during the Boshin Civil War, which is famous throughout Japan. It was demolished in 1874, but rebuilt in 1965, and in 2001, the two terrace houses attached to the tower building were restored using traditional Edo era methods. Inside the tower is a folk museum where you can learn about the history of Aizu. In 2011, restoration of the tower was complete, with its red tile roofs in a faithful reproduction of the castle’s design at the end of the Tokugawa period. Tsuruga-jo is the only castle in Japan today which features red tile roofs.