Iimori Hill
Iimori Hill (飯盛山, Iimori Yama) is a mountain near the city of Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.[1] It is notable as the site of the ritual suicide of members of the Byakkotai (White Tiger Corps) in the Boshin War.[2] It is located about one and a half kilometers to northeast from Tsuruga Castle.[3]
| Iimori Hill | |
|---|---|
  Iimori Hill Honshu, Japan | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 314 m (1,030 ft) |
| Coordinates | 37°30′13.4″N 139°57′21.5″E |
| Naming | |
| Native name | 飯盛山 (Japanese) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Honshu, Japan |
There are two monuments at the top of the hill, one is a gift from Italian Fascist Party in 1928,[4] and another from Nazi Germany.[3] They were installed for showing great reverence for Byakkotai spirit, however, after Japan's defeat in World War II, the Occupation Army of the United States of America vandalized them.[5]
Iimori Hill has been heavily commercialized and the site includes many souvenir shops and exhibitions.[4] The staircases from foothills to top are fairly steep, though there is a handy escalator.[4] Downhill from Iimori Hill stands Sazae-dō (さざえ堂), an octagonal wooden pagoda built in the eighteenth century, which formerly sealed 33 statues of Buddhist goddess.[4][5] The statues were removed by Shinbutsu bunri policy during Meiji era.[5] Another shrine in the site is Uga-shindō (宇賀神堂) near Sazae-dō, which was built in late seventeenth century and deifies a white snake as god of abundance and fertility.[5]
See also
References
- "Iimori-yama Historic Site in Aizu-Wakamatsu". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- "Tsuruga Castle Park". Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- "Iimoriyama, Site of suicide by a group of young soldiers". Japan-guide.com. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
- The Rough Guide to Japan. Rough Guides UK. 2017. p. 430. ISBN 9780241326107.
- "Points of Interest in Iimori-yama". Retrieved 2019-06-13.
External links
- Official website(Japanese)