Byakkotai

The Byakkotai, meaning the White Tiger Corps, were a unit of young samurai from the Aizu Domain (present-day Fukushima Prefecture) who fought during the Boshin War of 1868–1869. They served under the Aizu daimyo Matsudaira Katamori and were part of the defense forces for Tsuruga Castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu.

During the war, a group of about 20 teenage members went to Mount Iimori near Aizu-Wakamatsu to observe enemy movements and report on the situation. They believed they were witnessing the fall of their castle and, in an act of loyalty and sacrifice, chose to die rather than be captured. Accounts vary, but the youths are commonly said to have committed suicide by seppuku or jumped from the mountain cliffs after leaving farewell notes to their families. The following day it became known that the castle had not yet fallen, and the Byakkotai’s deaths were widely cited as an example of steadfast devotion.

In the years since, the Byakkotai have become a symbol of loyalty and self-sacrifice in Japanese history. Their story is commemorated at Mount Iimori, where there is a memorial site and graves, and it is referenced in local culture, literature, and film. The episode is frequently presented as a poignant illustration of the costs of war and the ideals of samurai loyalty, though it is also understood within the broader context of the turbulent late Edo period.