Hiraizumi was once the home of the powerful
Northern Fujiwara Clan and rivaled Kyoto as a city
during
the Heian Period.
In 2011 Hiraizumi (平泉) was
inscribed as one of
Japan’s World Heritage sites because of its
representation of the Buddhist teachings of Amida.
The city is located within the Iwate Prefecture of the
northeastern region of Tohoku. Hiraizumi is a
reflection of a world centered on peace and harmony.
It was once part of the ancient Mutsu Province. It was
also the place where the Northern Fujiwara Branch
thrived for nearly 100 years. For those 100 years
Hiraizumi was in a Golden age of economic and
political grandeur. Also it served as the capital of
Oshu. During the late Heian Period (794-1185) it had
rivaled Kyoto in culture and political power.
Chusonji is a Buddhist temple located in Hiraizumi
and is one of the most important structures related to
Buddhism in Japan. The temple is one of two
remaining religious sites from the 12th century in
Hiraizumi. It is said that the temple was founded in
850 by Ennin of the Tendai Sect of Buddhism, but
others have disputed that the temple was founded by
Kiyohira of the Northern Fujiwara Branch. Chusonji
as well as Motsuji were meant to be places of peace
in a violent era. He built Chusonji on top of Mount
Kanzan as it was the center of the Mutsu Province at
the time. The most notable structure in Chusonji is
the Konjikido. It is a building covered in gold leaf and
houses over 3,000 national treasures. Today the hall
is protected from the elements by a concrete
structure. Geibikei Gorge is located to the west of
Ichinoseki and is one of the 100 best landscapes of
Japan. The gorge is 2 km long with limestone cliffs
over 50 meters tall. The name comes from Geibi,
which translates to lion nose. There is a formation of
limestone at the end of the gorge that resembles a
lion’s nose.
Please see below for
tours that include Hiraizumi:
