Aizuwakamatsu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aizuwakamatsu 会津若松市
City
Aizuwakamatsu skyline in November 2020
Flag Seal
Location of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture
Aizuwakamatsu Location in Japan
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
First official recorded	400 AD
City Settled for Wakamatsu	April 1, 1899
Current city name changed	January 1, 1955
Area
• Total	382.97 km2 (147.87 sq mi)
Population  (March 1, 2020)
• Total	119,232
• Density	311.335/km2 (806.354/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
– Tree	Japanese Red Pine
– Flower	Common Hollyhock
– Bird	Common cuckoo
Phone number	0242-39-1111
Address	3–46 Higashisakaemachi, Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima-ken 965-8601

Higashiyama Onsen is a famous hot spring area in Aizuwakamatsu.

Aizuwakamatsu (会津若松市, Aizuwakamatsu-shi) is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of January 1, 2021, about 118,159 people lived there in 50,365 homes. The city covers an area of 382.97 square kilometers (147.87 sq mi). This means there are about 310 people living in each square kilometer.

History of Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu Castle after the Battle of Aizu, 1868 photograph.

The area where Aizuwakamatsu is today has been settled for a very long time. People lived here even before recorded history. For example, the Aizu-Otsuka Kofun, an ancient burial mound from the 4th century AD, is found within the city. It is considered an important cultural treasure.

Long ago, around 88 BCE, a legend says that Emperor Sujin sent two generals to this region. Their job was to bring peace after a rebellion.

Before the late 1100s, Aizuwakamatsu was mostly a market town. It was also a base for local leaders. From 1192, the city became part of the lands controlled by the Kamakura shogunate. This was a military government led by a shogun. A samurai named Suwara Yoshitsura was given control of Aizu. Later, in 1384, one of his family members, Ashina Morinori, started building the first castle in the city.

During the Sengoku period (a time of many wars in Japan), the Ashina clan lost power. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful leader, took control. He gave Aizu to his ally, Gamo Ujisato. In 1592, Gamo Ujisato began building a new castle. It was around this time that the town was renamed "Wakamatsu," meaning "young pine."

During the Edo period (1603-1868), Aizu was ruled by different powerful families. In 1643, Hoshina Masayuki, a brother of the third Tokugawa shogun, became the ruler. The Edo period was a time of great economic and cultural growth for Aizu.

The descendants of Hoshina ruled Aizu for the next 200 years. They even adopted the Matsudaira family name. However, the last ruler, Matsudaira Katamori, supported the old government during the Boshin War. Aizuwakamatsu Castle fell during the Battle of Aizu.

After the Meiji Restoration (a big change in Japan's government), Wakamatsu Town was officially created on April 1, 1889. It became Wakamatsu City in 1899. The city grew by merging with nearby villages over the years. On January 1, 1955, Wakamatsu merged with seven more villages. At this time, its name was changed to Aizuwakamatsu. The city continued to expand in 2004 and 2005 by adding more towns and villages.

Geography of Aizuwakamatsu

Mount Iimori is a famous hill in Aizuwakamatsu.

Aizuwakamatsu is located in the western part of Fukushima Prefecture. It sits in the southeast part of the Aizu basin, which is like a large valley.

Mountains in Aizuwakamatsu

• Mount Ōtodake (1416 m)
• Mount Seaburi
• Mount Oda
• Mount Iimori

Rivers in Aizuwakamatsu

• Aga River
• Nippashi River
• Yugawa River
• Sesenagi River

Lakes in Aizuwakamatsu

• Lake Inawashiro
• Lake Wakasato
• Lake Higashiyama
• Lake Sohara

Hot Springs in Aizuwakamatsu

• Higashiyama Onsen
• Ashinomaki Onsen

Neighboring Cities and Towns

Aizuwakamatsu is surrounded by several other places in Fukushima Prefecture:

• North: Kitakata, Aizubange, Yugawa, Bandai
• East: Koriyama, Inawashiro
• West: Aizumisato
• South: Shimogo, Tenei

Climate in Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. It gets a lot of snow in winter. The average temperature for the whole year is about 11.2 °C (52.2 °F). September is usually the wettest month. August is the warmest month, with temperatures around 24.7 °C (76.5 °F). January is the coldest, with temperatures around -1.2 °C (29.8 °F).

Population of Aizuwakamatsu

The number of people living in Aizuwakamatsu grew until around 1990. Since then, the population has slowly gone down to levels seen before 1960.

Economy of Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu is an important business hub for the local area. The city is well-known for making sake (Japanese rice wine) and beautiful lacquerware. Today, other important industries include making textiles (like cloth), processing wood, and producing electronics.

Education in Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu has a university and a junior college. The city also has many public elementary and junior high schools. There are also private schools. For older students, Fukushima Prefecture runs five public high schools.

Universities and Colleges

• University of Aizu
• Junior College of Aizu

High Schools

• Aizu High School
• Aoi High School
• Aizu Gakuhō High School
• Wakamatsu Shōgyō High School
• Aizu Kōgyō High School
• Aizu Second High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Xaverio Gakuen High School (Private)
• Wakamatsu 1st High School (Private)
• Jinai High School (Private)

Junior High Schools

• Aizuwakamatsu First Junior High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Second Junior High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Third Junior High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Fourth Junior High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Fifth Junior High School
• Aizuwakamatsu Sixth Junior High School
• Ikki Junior High School
• Ōto Junior High School
• Minato Junior High School
• Kitaaizu Junior High School
• Kawahigashi Junior High School
• Aizu Gakuhō Junior High School (Prefectural)
• Aizuwakamatsu Xaverio Gakuen Junior High School (Private)

Transportation in Aizuwakamatsu

The "Haikara-san" classic town bus in Aizuwakamatsu.

You can travel to and from Aizuwakamatsu by train, highway, and bus.

Train Lines

• JR East – Banetsu West Line
• JR East – Tadami Line
• Aizu Railway – Aizu Line

Highways

• Ban-etsu Expressway
• National Route 49
• National Route 118
• National Route 121
• National Route 252
• National Route 294
• National Route 401

Bus Services

• Aizu Bus

Media in Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu has local TV stations, newspapers, and radio stations that keep residents informed.

Television Stations

• NHK Fukushima
• Fukushima Television Broadcasting
• Fukushima Central Television
• Fukushima Broadcasting
• TV-U Fukushima

Newspapers

• Fukushima Mimpō
• Fukushima Min-Yū

Radio Stations

• FM Aizu

Sister Cities of Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu has special partnerships with other cities, both in Japan and around the world. These are called "sister cities."

Japanese Sister Cities

• Mutsu, Aomori, since 1984
• Naruto, Tokushima, since 1999
• Ina, Nagano, since 2000
• Yokosuka, Kanagawa, since 2005

International Sister Cities

• Jingzhou, China since 1991
• Saipan, since 2006

Fun Places to Visit in Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga-jo) is a famous landmark.

The Aizu Samurai Residences show how samurai families lived.

Aizuwakamatsu has many interesting places to explore, especially if you like history and nature.

• Aizuwakamatsu Castle (also known as Tsuruga-jo)
• Aizu Matsudaira's Royal Garden (Oyakuen)
• Mount Iimori, where you can find:
  • Graves of the Byakkotai (a group of young samurai)
  • Sazaedo (a unique wooden temple)
• Former Takizawa Honjin (a special inn for feudal lords)
• Aizu Matsudaira clan grave
• Nisshinkan (a historical school for samurai children)
• Aizu Samurai Residences (a village showing samurai life)
• Nanukamachi-dori Street (a historic street with old shops)

Culture of Aizuwakamatsu

Aizuwakamatsu has a rich culture, with special festivals, unique foods, and traditional crafts.

Festivals

• Aizu Festival

Foods to Try

Sauce Katsu-don is a popular dish in Aizuwakamatsu.

• Kozuyu (a local soup)
• Sauce Katsu-don (a rice bowl with fried pork cutlet and special sauce)
• Basashi (horse sashimi - thinly sliced raw horse meat)
• Soba (buckwheat noodles)
• Boutara (dried codfish)
• Sake (Japanese rice wine)

Traditional Crafts and Symbols

• Akabeko (a red cow toy, a symbol of good luck)
• Okiagari-koboshi (a roly-poly doll that always stands up, symbolizing perseverance)

Famous People from Aizuwakamatsu

Many notable people have come from Aizuwakamatsu:

• Wakashima Kyūzaburō (1842–1891), a famous sumo wrestler
• Kei Satō (1928–2010), an actor and narrator
• Hiroshi Sasagawa (1936–), an anime creator
• Sōichirō Hoshi (1972–), a voice actor
• Aya Ohori (1996–), a Japanese badminton player

See also

In Spanish: Aizuwakamatsu (Fukushima) para niños