Aizu-Wakamatsu

What?
Aizu-Wakamatsu (会津若松) is a castle town with a tragic history. The castle was destroyed in an actual war during the Meiji restoration. Before the destruction however a group of young samurai thought the castle was ablaze and commited ritual suicide showing their loyalty. This story is of course very popular in Japan.
Where?
Aizu-Wakamatsu is located in Fukushima Prefecture. It is fairly easy to get around town. It is definitely possible to walk around, but the loop bus is a decent alternative.
URL
Japan Guide Outline

Travelling between Niigata and Aizu-Wakamatsu with the JR Ban-etsu line is a nice experience. There is of course the very nice view all along the rails, but there are also the bunch of trainspotters that form a special sub-attraction.
Arriving in Aizu-Wakamatsu it was slightly raining, so instead of walking as I planned I took the city bus towards the castle, Tsuruga-jo.
The castle itself is a concrete replica, but from superior in quality to that of for example Osaka or Nagoya. With this I mean that an outside elevator does not spoil the view. You can go into the castle and look into several old artefacts, however I found that a stroll in the surrounding park was more rewarding.

A little rain didn't spoil the view at all.

Tsuruga-jo

Travelling further I arrived at Iimori-yama where a unit of heroic Byakkotai is buried. The brief story can be read here on Japan Guide. Maybe it’s my western spirit, but I cannot understand their act of seppuku when the castle had not yet fallen. From their point of view they had a perfect lookout onto Tsuruga-jo. Maybe my incomprehension has also somewhat to do with the creepy memorial Mussolini donated because he loved the story.
Nevertheless the spot has a nice vista over the town. Additionally it has also a small though interesting pagoda with garden.