Tsuruga Castle — Red-Tiled Fortress of the Samurai Aizu Clan

**Cherry blossom timing:** The 1,000+ cherry trees around Tsuruga Castle peak in mid-April, give or take a week depending on spring temperatures. Night illumination runs 18:00-21:00 during bloom season, and the red-tiled castle glowing under lights with pink blossoms overhead is Fukushima's most photographed spring scene. Crowds are thick from 18:00-19:00 when tour groups arrive; come after 19:00 for breathing room. The lighting creates an odd pink-on-red color combination that shouldn't work but does. **Byakkotai hillside:** After the castle, take a 10-minute bus north to Iimoriyama, the hill where 20 teenage Byakkotai samurai committed seppuku in 1868. They saw smoke rising over Aizu-Wakamatsu, assumed the castle had fallen, and chose death over dishonor. The castle hadn't fallen — it held for another three weeks. The hillside has their graves, a memorial hall, and Japan's oldest inclined escalator (¥250) carrying you up the steep slope. The story adds tragic context to the castle's military history. **Tea ceremony:** Chashitsu Rinkaku is a 400-year-old tea house in the castle grounds, designed by the son of Sen no Rikyu (the master who codified tea ceremony). You can do a simplified tea experience (¥810) that includes matcha and a seasonal sweet, served in a tatami room overlooking a small garden. Book the morning session (9:00-11:00) for quieter contemplation. The ceremony takes 20 minutes and balances the castle's martial history with refined culture — the two sides of samurai life.