Iwate Part 1: Heritage at Hiraizumi
This journey into the countryside changed my outlook on urban life forever and gave me a confidence I never knew I could possess.
Some time ago, I shared my experience of Aomori City and things to do in the area. After a day and a half wandering across the bay, I headed south towards Iwate Prefecture, home to my next two destinations: Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi. The region has a rich history of over a thousand years, with Ichinoseki a comfortable two and a half hours from Tokyo via the Tohoku Shinkansen.
Much like Aomori, Hiraizumi is a place I selected specifically to escape the summer heat of Kanto, and I was not disappointed. The weather was cloudy but temperate – a far cry from the scorching heat of Tokyo.
About Hiraizumi
Located just two stations from Ichinoseki on the JR Tohoku Line (note: this is NOT the same as the Tohoku Shinkansen), Hiraizumi was once home to a branch of the influential Fujiwara clan, and its temples date back to as early as 850 CE. These sights and histories resulted in Hiraizumi being designated a World Heritage Site in 2011, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the sheer beauty and simplicity of this town, although when I actually did arrive in Iwate, I realized I was probably going to get more than what I bargained for when it came to the transportation situation (see also: how the area around Ichinoseki station was dead silent at 8:30 PM).
Hopping on the Tohoku line was easy thanks to the JR Tohoku Pass I’d purchased a few weeks ago, but I had to time my departure from Ichinoseki down to the second, as the train timetable is much sparser than the Yamanote Line down in Tokyo.
Experiencing Hiraizumi
Despite the summer break, Hiraizumi wasn’t too crowded during the summer of 2022 – likely due to the border closures. Rather than waiting for a bus, I opted to walk down the wide main road and enjoy the sharp contrast between the faded grey clouds above and the vibrant greenery surrounding me. The day was a little humid, but summer up north is far more bearable, and the cloud cover helped block out the worst of the sun.
My first destination was Chūson-ji Temple. Founded in the 9th century, the complex of Chūson-ji once contained a vast number of pagodas and residences, and is located on top of the Tsukimizaka Slope – a steeply uphill path I had to drag myself through after a 20-minute walk from Hiraizumi Station. I learned the hard way to pacing myself during that walk so that I wouldn’t end my day by 11 AM – especially considering the near-legendary structures awaiting me at the top.
Conflicts in 12th-century Japan and a raging fire in 1337 changed Chūson-ji’s fortunes significantly, but dozens of artefacts have survived to the present day, and the famous Konjiki-dō is worth climbing up for. Covered almost entirely in gold leaf, the hall glows in the darkened structure it’s preserved in, being the only structure from the 12th-century to have survived in its original form. As visitors are prohibited from photographing the Konjiki-dō (or even the surviving artefacts), one must see it to believe it.
There are a number of smaller temples and shrines scattered across the temple complex, but perhaps the best attraction at Chūson-ji is the view from the top. Once I had recovered from my uphill journey and taken in the temples and museum, I had plenty of time to stroll back down and enjoy a magnificent view of Hiraizumi and the surrounding area. The descent was as steep as the ascent, but far easier to complete, with a few rest stops to pause and take photos. The fields were a vibrant green after several days of light rain, with dark hills in the background a lovely contrast to the brighter shades nearby…to say nothing of my luck in getting trees and shrubs to frame the idyllic scene. The walk downhill truly was a photographic gold mine.
The walk from the station followed by the uphill climb left me more than ready for a quick and hearty meal, and the neighbourhood could and did deliver. Across the street from Chūson-ji’s entrance is the Hiraizumi Rest House: a facility with a food court, souvenir shop, and even a museum. The multilingual menu of the food court and its wide range of meal options allows anyone to enjoy classic Japanese cuisine at a reasonable price. My meal of choice was a tempura rice bowl, and as the food court itself was rather empty in the ancient time of August 2022 before the borders re-opened, I was able to eat at my own pace, in no hurry to go anywhere.
My next destination was – via yet another long walk – the Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center. Not only is entry to the museum free, it also contains a number of artefacts and documents chronicling the history of Hiraizumi as a former regional capital and home of the Northern Fujiwara clan. For those concerned about the language barrier, worry not, as the Center has included English descriptions for most, if not all, their exhibits. As the tale of Chūson-ji proves, Hiraizumi’s story is as rich as it is bloody, having left traces of the past that lasted hundreds of years to be viewed by us in the present.
Next on my list was Motsū-ji, a temple located in the opposite direction of Chūson-ji. It’s a ten-minute walk from the Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center, and is about as old as Chūson-ji, with a temple complex that once rivalled its golden contemporary. However, Motsū-ji also fell victim to the same conflicts that nearly took Chūson-ji down, with a fire in the 13th century leaving behind only ruins, whose foundations we can still view today.
Despite this tragedy, the Pure Land garden and some temple remains are still in good condition, with a vast lake providing the ideal spot to meditate, take photos or simply reflect on one’s life until this point. The rippling stream on the north side of the lake was perhaps the loudest sound I remember hearing at Motsū-ji, for despite the number of visitors, there was a serene silence that overshadowed even the buzz of cicadas and chatter of tourists. As I examined the ruins, I began to wonder how many of the rocks and trees nearby were more recent additions, and how many were silent witnesses to the conflicts that forever changed Hiraizumi’s destiny hundreds of years ago.
With several hours of walking under my belt, I was ready for the grand finale: a hot spring bath. Until this point in my life, I’d strictly kept to hot springs that had English-language websites and multilingual staff, but I decided to take a leap into the unknown, and attempt a visit to Yukyu no Yu, a hot spring (or onsen) located between Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center and Motsū-ji.
Yukyu no Yu offers large amounts of time in its baths for a very reasonable price, and was the perfect place for me to use my then-limited Japanese skills to get around. All I had to do was select the desired option on the ticket vending machine (Eg: an adult who wants to spend up to 3 hours at the onsen can opt for: 大人 個人 3時間以内), leave any valuables in the lockers outside the changing room, and I was good to go!
After a scorching hot bath that cleansed my skin (and my soul), I drank some strawberry milk (which tastes quite nice after being purified by the boiling waters) and took advantage of the relaxation room. Unfortunately, that’s when I remembered the one and only hurdle I faced in this part of Iwate: public transportation.
As I wrote above, not having a car meant I was reliant on the JR Tohoku Line and local buses to reach my various destinations. Once again, public transportation outside the Greater Tokyo Area is a matter of very precise timing. While the Yamanote Line, for instance, sends trains every five or six minutes, the JR Tohoku Line can have wait times lasting up to one hour.
With some strategising, I made it to Ichinoseki in time to catch the second-to-last bus, enjoying the sunset on my way back. Of course, my transportation travails weren’t over yet, as the local bus did not have a transportation IC card reader, leading me to search for exact change in order to pay the fare in coins. In the end, however, the bus ride was the perfect way to unwind after a long and exciting day.
What followed was an indulgent yakiniku dinner near my hotel, which I achieved through a combination of encouragement from my father, growing confidence in my Japanese skills, and Google Translate. Then it was time to end my day, as I would be checking out of the hotel the next morning at such a time that I wouldn’t need to wait two hours for a bus to the station.
Had I missed the train from Hiraizumi, I wouldn’t have been able to take any buses back to my hotel, as the next train wouldn’t arrive for at least an hour. Still, this isn’t a place to rush around the way people do in Tokyo. Sometimes it’s worth pausing for a second or two to capture the birds or the setting sun, as I did. Sure, I’d have missed my train if I’d taken too long, but the views and the peace I felt in this quiet corner of the world would’ve been worth it.
My day was long and exciting enough on its own, but if I ever return to Hiraizumi, there’s so much more I want to see:
- Muryōkō-in-Ato: the remains of this temple form another Special Historic Site in Hiraizumi, and yet one more grand structure lost to time. The foundation stones are still extant, however, and the pond might just rival Motsu-ji’s in terms of its beauty and serenity. It’s only a ten-minute walk from Hiraizumi Station, and is surrounded by various other attractions and sights.
- Mount Kinkeisan: located midway between Chūson-ji and Mōtsū-ji, this mountain is said to have the statue of a cockerel buried at the summit. Readers of Matsuo Bashō’s travelogue will have a chance to reflect on his mention of Mount Kinkeisan, and the mountain’s hiking trails provide the opportunity for more walking.
- Hiraizumi World Heritage Information Center: This Center is a short walk from Muryōkū-in-Ato, and contains a wealth of information, not only on the history of Hiraizumi and its significance as a World Heritage Site, but also academic research focused on the region, under the name “Hiraizumi Studies.”
Much like my Aomori trip, my Hiraizumi visit was limited to a select few locations due to time. However, as we’ll see during my Ichinoseki walk, there’s so much more in Iwate that I hope to see someday…but there are also some experiences I’d rather not repeat.
