Young pine tree

Japanese: 若松 - わかまつ

The castle town of the Mutsu National Diet Building Azuma Domain. It is the center of Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and has been the political, economic, and cultural center of the Aizu region since the Middle Ages. The Ashina clan, who ruled the Aizu region in the Middle Ages, built their castle, Kurokawa Castle, on the right bank of the Yukawa River (formerly called Kurokawa River), and during the Sengoku period, a town was formed below the castle. The Ashina clan was driven out by Date Masamune in 1589. Gamo Ujisato, who entered Aizu in place of Masamune in 1590, renovated the castle and developed the castle town, and in 1592 renamed the castle Tsuruga Castle and the castle town Wakamatsu. The development by Ujisato became the foundation of the early modern castle town of Wakamatsu. After that, Aizu was owned by the Uesugi clan, the Gamo clan (re-fief), and the Kato clan. After Hoshina Masayuki entered the area in 1643, it became a castle town of the Hoshina clan (later Matsudaira clan) of Aizu domain with 230,000 koku of rice until the end of the Edo period. In 1665, the castle town had over 50 towns (Aizu-Wakamatsu History). The four main towns were Omachi, Babamachi, Shinmachi, and Ushiromachi, and were called the Four Towns. The Shirakawa-Nihonmatsu Highway, Shimotsuke Highway, Echigo Highway, and Yonezawa Highway, which all passed through the domain's territory, all started at Fudanotsuji in Omachi. Thanks to the lord's protective and encouraging policies, industries such as sake brewing, lacquerware, blacksmithing, and textiles developed. The first market in Omachi on January 10th, which is said to have been held since the time of the Ashina clan, attracted people from surrounding villages and was a lively event throughout the town. In 1868, the town was devastated by the destruction of the Aizu War, but recovered around the 1870s. When the city and town system was enacted in 1889, it became Wakamatsu-cho, and city system was enacted in 1899. In the same year, the Iwaetsu Railway (now the JR Ban'etsu West Line) was extended and Wakamatsu Station opened. In 1908, an infantry regiment was established and Wakamatsu became a military city. In 1917, Wakamatsu Station was renamed Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to distinguish it from Wakamatsu in Kyushu (now Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture), and in 1955, the city's name was changed to Aizu-Wakamatsu City.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

陸奥国会津藩の城下町。現在の福島県会津若松市の中心部で，中世以来会津地方の政治・経済・文化の中心。中世会津地方を領した蘆名氏は湯川（古くは黒川といった）右岸の地に居城黒川城を築き，戦国期には城下に町場も形成された。蘆名氏は1589年伊達政宗に追われる。1590年政宗に替わって会津に入った蒲生氏郷は城の改修，城下町の整備を行い，1592年城を鶴ヶ城，城下を若松と改める。この氏郷による整備が近世城下町若松の基礎となった。その後会津地は上杉氏・蒲生氏（再封）・加藤氏が領有。1643年に保科正之が入部して以降は会津藩保科氏（のち松平氏）23万石の城下町として幕末に至る。1665年の城下町数は五十余町（《会津若松史》）。大町・馬場町・新町・後町が中心で，四町とよばれた。藩領内を貫通する白河・二本松街道，下野街道，越後街道，米沢街道は大町札之辻(ふだのつじ)が基点。領主の保護奨励策によって酒造・漆器・鍛冶・繊維などの産業が発達。蘆名氏以来と伝える正月10日の大町の初市は周辺諸村からも人々が集まり，総町をあげて賑わった。1868年会津戦争の戦禍で壊滅的打撃を被るが，明治10年代頃から回復。1889年の市制・町村制施行で若松町となり，1899年市制施行。同年岩越(がんえつ)鉄道（現JR磐越西線）が延長され若松駅が開業。1908年歩兵連隊が設置され軍都若松が誕生。1917年若松駅は九州の若松（現，福岡県北九州市）と区別するため会津若松駅と改め，1955年市名も会津若松市と改称。

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