Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [405]
Another rustic charmer is Gin-no-shō (; 83-4355; www.hds-net.jp/ginnosho, in Japanese; r with meals from ¥18,900; ), which is built out of natural materials to provide a relaxed and minimalist ambience.
Both accommodation options, as well as a few more modern options, are within easy walking distance of the station – ask the staff at the tourist information centre to point the way.
Getting There & Away
There are hourly trains on the JR Tōhoku shinkansen between Sendai and Furukawa (¥2300, 15 minutes). Hourly trains run on the JR Rikū-tō line between Furukawa and Naruko Onsen (¥1750, 45 minutes). There are also infrequent trains between Naruko Onsen and Shinjō (¥950, 1¼ hours), where you can pick up the Yamagata shinkansen line and a few local trains.
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IWATE-KEN
Japan’s second-largest prefecture, Iwate-ken is a quiet and bucolic place that is largely characterised by rich farmland, sleepy valleys and some pretty serious mountain ranges. Although the region once played host to warring states and feudal rule, there are few remnants of this turbulent past, aside from the magnificent temples at Hiraizumi. Indeed, Iwate-ken feels more provincial – in the best of ways – and stopping in places like the Tōno valley, which influenced a rich collection of folkloric tales, can seem almost like turning back time.
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HIRAIZUMI
0191 / pop 9000
Hiraizumi’s grandeur once rivalled Kyoto’s, and the tale of its ruin is one of the most bittersweet sagas in Tōhoku’s history. From 1089 to 1189, three generations of the Fujiwara family, headed by Fujiwara Kiyohira, created a political and cultural centre in Hiraizumi. Kiyohira had made his fortune from local gold mines and, at the behest of Kyoto priests, he used his wealth and power to commence work on the creation of a ‘paradise on earth’, devoted to the principles of Buddhist thought as a reaction against the feudal wars that were plaguing the land.
Although his son and grandson continued along this path, Kiyohira’s great-grandson, Yoshihira, yielding to both internal and external pressures, brought this short century of fame and prosperity to an abrupt end. Today only a few sights scattered around this rural town bear testament to Hiraizumi’s faded glory, though they do represent a singular experience, and remain a regional highlight.
Information
Turning right outside Hiraizumi station, the tourist information office (46-2110; 8.30am-5pm) has English-language pamphlets. The post office, with an international ATM, is 400m northwest of the station heading towards Mōtsū-ji. Free internet access is available at the public library (open 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday), 1500m southwest of the station.
Sights & Activities
Note that Hiraizumi is very small and easily walkable, though cycling will help cut down some of the distances between sights (Click here for bike-rental details). Navigation is also a cinch as directions to major sights are signposted in English.
CHŪSON-JI
This temple complex (46-2211; admission incl Konjiki-dō, Sankōzō & Kyōzō ¥800; 8am-5pm Apr-Oct, 8.30am-4.30pm Nov-Mar) was established in AD 850 by the priest Ennin, though it was Fujiwara Kiyohira who decided in the early 12th century to expand the complex into a site with around 300 buildings, including 40 temples. Ironically, in the face of the grand scheme to build a Buddhist utopia, Hiraizumi was never far from tragedy: a massive fire here in 1337 destroyed most of the buildings, although two of the original constructions remain alongside the newer temples. The site is accessed via a steep approach along an avenue lined with trees and Jizō statues.
The approach snakes past the Hon-dō (Main Hall) to an enclosed area featuring the splendid Konjiki-dō (; Golden Hall; 8am-4.30pm