Historical Heritage Sites such as Shrines and Castle Ruins on the Southern Foot of Mount Bandai, and the Scars of the 1888 Eruption
The “Mine-no-Ooishi” (Mine’s Great Rock) located on this mountainside is a massive andesite boulder that was transported by a volcanic mudflow during the eruption of 1888 (Meiji 21). It has been designated as a National Natural Monument.
The Iwahashi Shrine is an ancient shrine said to have been founded during the Wadō era (early 8th century). It is also known as a “Shikinaisha,” a shrine listed in the Engishiki Jinmyōchō (a historical record of shrines), and is regarded as one of the most prestigious shrines representing the Aizu region.
Additionally, Hanitsu Shrine, founded in 1675 (Enpō 3) after the death of Hoshina Masayuki, the first lord of the Aizu domain, enshrines Hoshina Masayuki himself. Both the shrine and its inner sanctuary (which houses the tomb of Hoshina Masayuki) are designated as National Historic Sites as they serve as the burial grounds of the Matsudaira family, the lords of Aizu.