Hiraizumi

World Heritage Hiraizumi’s Konjikido golden hall at Chuson-ji and Motsu-ji’s Pure Land garden, plus the Genbikei and Geibikei gorges and Ichinoseki’s mochi cuisine.

Hiraizumi lies in southern Iwate Prefecture. In the 12th century, four generations of the Oshu Fujiwara clan built a capital here modeled on the Buddhist ideal of the Pure Land, which flourished for nearly a century. In 2011 Chuson-ji, Motsu-ji, the Kanjizaio-in ruins, the Muryoko-in ruins and Mount Kinkei were inscribed as the World Heritage Site “Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land”. Hiraizumi is small, with its main sights within 3 km of Hiraizumi Station, linked on foot, by rental bicycle or by the “Run Run” loop bus: Chuson-ji’s Konjikido in the morning, then Motsu-ji, the Kanjizaio-in and Muryoko-in ruins and the Takadachi Gikeido in the afternoon. Neighboring Ichinoseki to the south is the base for lodging and transport, with Genbikei and its “flying dango” on the western outskirts and Geibikei boat rides to the east; in the mountains to the west you can visit Honedera Village, Mount Kurikoma and Sukawa Kogen Onsen. Ichinoseki’s mochi cuisine, the Sekinoichi Brewery and the jazz café Basie are all worth a visit. To the north, Oshu City has Esashi Fujiwara no Sato. Getting there: the Tohoku Shinkansen takes about 2 hours 20 minutes from Tokyo to Ichinoseki Station, then it’s about 8 minutes on the JR Tohoku Main Line to Hiraizumi Station. Allow 2 days: one for Hiraizumi and one for Genbikei and Geibikei. The best times are the Spring Fujiwara Festival in May, irises in early summer and autumn foliage in early November; the Konjikido in snow is moving in winter, though roads on Mount Kurikoma are closed.

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