EXP | Aizu Wakamatsu
One of Japan's more atmospheric destinations with a sprinkle of grindcore.
Aizuwakamatsu. Nestled deep in the heart of Fukushima, is a complex beast that isn’t often explored. To my knowledge, anyway. And that’s a shame because it’s got character.
When the pandemic first started, I did some documentary work in the Aizu music scene, which is fitting given its brutal history at the end of the Boshin War. The last stand of the Samurai in the 1860s at Tsurugajo Castle was a cataclysmic event, violently birthing modern Japan. The air in Aizu Wakamatsu is thick, not just with the scent of cedars, but with the ghostly echoes of the fierce, unyielding spirit characteristic of the Tohoku region.
Which is a great setting for some Grindcore! A good friend of mine, vocalist for Sithter, and carries the badge for having been one of the longest running members of the notoriously churn-heavy Church of Misery, is an Aizu Wakamatsu native and during the pandemic he was running some very private, secluded shows in his hometown, to which he invited me to document.
So myself and another friend, cinematographer Chris Murray of Live Labo Scenes, carted ourselves and a decent amount of gear up there a few times over the course of the pandemic, and had a total blast. The music itself was great, but just as important was the experience, the atmosphere.
I won’t lie: its a heavy place. Very much has that eerie je ne sais quoi places like Nikko and the Pacific Northwest possess. It feels like you’re in an in-between reality, a liminal temporality, and this oddness permeates whatever it is you set yourself to doing.
And there’s a lot to do! Which is what this section of my newsletter is all about. So buckle in, and get ready to be peppered with outstanding suggestions to dig deep into the mystique of Aizu Wakamatsu!
The Accommodation: Mooi Guesthouse
Another akiya success story, the owner picked up this vacant property for cheap and converted it into a cozy home away from home. There’s a public space on the 1st floor with shared kitchen, entertainment, and amenities, and private rooms as well as bunk beds on the 2nd floor.
Is it luxury? No, but you don’t read this newsletter for that anyway. You continue reading Above & Below for adventure, don’t you? Well, this place’ll be your HQ for as much adventure as you like.
The Bar: Karan堂
I enjoy giving unique bar recommendations, and I really like rock and roll, so Karan堂 is pretty much the perfect suggestion for a visit to Aizu Wakamatsu. You’ll get a face full of underground sound and then some here, above the bowling alley in a weird corner of the 2.5th floor. But you’ll also get some aggressively priced swill to help get you into the mood to rock.
The Experience: Tsurugajo
The castle itself is cool, sure, but go for the cherry blossoms. Totally spectacular. Astronomically cool. Sublime and supreme.
The Restaurant: Ebiya
This place was right around the corner from one of the AirBnBs I stayed in, and walking past I took notice, though it hadn’t yet occurred to me to actually go. Seemed pricey. Austere. Maybe not my kind of place.
But then I got settled and went on the digital hunt for not just any place to eat, but one with local specialties, and sure enough, Ebiya popped up.
Their 3rd or 4th generation eel connoisseurs, so that’s what you should get.
Enjoy the Ride!
As the venerable Bill Hicks once said:
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.
which are words I certainly live by. But its not much of a ride if you don’t color it with interesting people and experiences, so get out there and live it up, in Aizu Wakamatsu, or anywhere else.