Geography
This northern prefecture is located on the island of Honshu and belongs to the large Tohoku region. It can be called a Pacific prefecture, since its entire coastline faces the Pacific Ocean. The picturesque Mount Hiraizumi, due to its natural beauty, is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
In the Heian era (794 - 1185), the city of the same name adjacent to Mount Hiraizumi was the northern fiefdom of the ancient samurai clan Fujiwara, famous throughout Japan. The Fujiwara clan conquered local lands, fighting the "Emishi", the indigenous people of Tohoku, a type of Ainu. The city of Hiraizumi even rivaled Kyoto in its courtly splendor and economic power. It was only after the Fujiwara clan was defeated in 1189 by Minamoto Yoritomo, the shogun of Japan, that relative decline began. However, Hiraizumi retained its importance for a long time, and here and in other cities of modern Iwate Prefecture there are many ancient temples.
Culture, attractions
and entertainment
In the city of Hiraizumi there is a Buddhist temple, Chuson-ji Temple, which is considered the main attraction of this ancient city. It was discovered by the Tendai Buddhist school back in 850. The Fujiwara family paid special attention to this temple, making it, if expressed in the European tradition, a cathedral. The Konjikido Pavilion is especially beautiful, somewhat reminiscent of the Golden Pavilion of Kinkakuji in Kyoto, a city that was Hiraizumi’s rival in those distant times.
Another significant temple is Motsu-ji, also belonging to the Tendai school and reaching its peak during the reign of the Fujiwara clan. The temple is famous for its pure land garden. Such gardens, where nothing grew, symbolized during the Heian period the Buddhist concept of Emptiness and Purity.
And the temple complex of Takkoku no Iwaya is unique in that it is partially carved out of rock. After defeating the Fujiwara clan, the winner, Yoritomo Minamoto, decided to perpetuate the memory of his fallen comrades and defeated opponents. And then he ordered to carve an image of Buddha’s face from a rock located next to the temple in memory of the battles for Hiraizumi...
And in the vicinity of Ichinoseki Station, not far from Hiraizumi, there is the picturesque Geibikei Gorge. This 2 km long gorge is located along the Satetsu River. Many tourists buy so-called “lucky stones” here. They should be thrown into holes in the rock: each hit is a sign of impending good luck!
About half an hour's drive from Hiraizumi, in the town of Kitakani, the Toyoshochi Gardens are located, where about ten thousand sakura trees grow. This is one of the most famous places in Japan to admire cherry blossoms during the flowering season, in spring. You can also admire cherry blossoms during a special boat cruise. In addition, the Michinoku folk village is also located here, which is an open-air museum telling about the way of life in the Tohoku region in the Middle Ages.
From Tokyo, the beauty of Iwate Prefecture, in particular the area around Mount Hiraizumi, can be reached in two and a half hours by the Shinkansen super express train. The train arrives at Ichinoseki Station, and then you can take the local express train to Hiraizumi Station in just eight minutes.
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