Aizu-Shiozawa Station is located in Tadami Town, the most remote part of the Aizu region.
As you pass by the station, you will see a relatively large brick color building on the opposite side of the river.
The building is a facility called the Kawai Tsugunosuke Hall.
It is a facility built to commemorate a samurai who lived over 150 years ago.
Kawai Tsugunosuke was born in the Nagaoka domain (now Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture).
At the end of the Edo period, in 1868, Japan was at war.
The war was between the new government forces and the old government forces.
In the midst of the great upheaval, the domain to which he belonged maintained neutrality and a policy of non-violence.
However, it was forced to fight the new government forces, as it was caught up in the conflict.
His exploits in the war made him famous.
One of the most famous anecdotes about him is that he sold rice to raise military funds, acquired two Gatling guns, of which there were only three in Japan at the time, and used them in battle.
However, what I want to stress more is that he had a vision for the future of his domain during the period of turmoil.
It was based on the idea that the country exists for the people, which is a given in modern times.
In addition, it was a vision that aimed for constant development, even for a small country, and that embodied the nobility of samurai beliefs.
It was a very rare samurai who had such a creative vision for the future at that time.
I think that if it had been realized, that small country would have become a shining presence even in a dark world.
He died from wounds he sustained in the war.
While it may have been his true desire to die a glorious death on the battlefield as a samurai, I can't help but think that he was also filled with regret for not being able to achieve his dreams.
I don't think there's much reason for anyone who isn't a big fan of Japanese history to visit this facility.
However, I hope that by learning that even in this remote mountain area, historical dramas were unfolding, you will find the Tadami Line more interesting.
By the way, there is a novel about him titled “Touge.”（The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai) by Ryotaro Shiba.
It has also been adapted into a movie, so if you are interested, I recommend you to watch it.
The director is Takashi Koizumi and the lead actor is Kōji Yakusho (who starred in “PERFECT DAYS”).