Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Iimori-yama
A quick, ten-minute climb up Iimori-yama is a good way to get your bearings, taking in views of the town as you scale the hill's steep staircases or ride the handy escalator (March– Nov daily 8am–5pm; ¥250). At the top, an imperial eagle – a gift from the Italian Fascist Party in 1928 – dominates the small clearing and underlines some of the more disturbing aspects of local history, the main focus of which is the line of Byakkotai graves over to the left.
Further down the hill, Sazae-dō (daily 8.15am to sunset; ¥400) is an attractive antidote. This elegant, octagonal building, erected in 1796 as part of a larger temple complex, is a unique structure, containing two ramps spiralling round a central pillar. Sealed inside the pillar are 33 statues of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. At the bottom of the hill, turn left and you'll find a distinctive white building housing the Byakkotai Memorial Hall (daily: April– Nov 8am–5pm; Jan– March & Dec 8.30am–4.30pm; ¥400), of interest mostly for its portraits of the young soldiers, and videos of related television dramas and documentaries.