Mount Seaburi
Between Aizu-Wakamatsu's Higashiyama Spa and the western shore of Lake Inawashiro lies the Seaburi Pass. This has been the historical route linking the town of Shirakawa in southern Fukushima with the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu. (Hideyoshi Toyotomi, almost 500 years ago, came to Aizu through the Seaburi pass). Mount Seaburi, which is 835 meters high, got its name according to local folklore from the fact that when people from the lake side climbed over the mountain in the early morning, the sun rose on their backs. When they returned home from the Aizu side, the sun set on their backs hence the word "Seaburi" whose Chinese characters mean "on one's back." It is a very enjoyable drive up the winding road to the top of Mount Seaburi from where you can see the magnificent Lake Inawashiro and the Aizu basin surrounded by mountains, of which the majestic Aizu Bandai Mountain dominates.
At the top of the mountain there is an adventure playground, a camping site and a picnic area so it is a great place for families to visit.
There is also a replica of the grave of Okei. (The original is in America). Okei was a young woman from Aizu who was one of the first Japanese to emigrate to America. She was, in fact, a nanny for the daughter of an American artillery expert who came to Aizu to teach the Aizu clan soldiers gunnery skills. When he and his family returned to America, they took Okei with them. Tragically she soon became sick and died at the age of nineteen. It was decided to build a replica of her grave on a site where her soul could look down over hometown.