...because it is her cute/mascot version but Niijima Yae (新島八重) or Yamamoto Yaeko (山本 八重子, 1845-1932) was one of Aizu's most famous samurai; usually she's depicted holding a rifle because her father was one of the domain's official gunnery instructors and because she used it to participate in the Battle of Aizu, defending the Aizu Wakamatsu castle. As often happens, many people found out about her from the 2013 NHK historical drama "Yae no Sakura" (八重の桜) and it's a shame because her life after the Meiji Restoration was even more interesting.
(For a bigger version of this picture both in color and black and white, check my "Japan Arekore" set on Flickr)
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