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Matthew Haswell | profile | all galleries >> Japan 日本 >> Tōhoku 東北 >> Hiraizumi 平泉 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Aomori 青森 | Hirosaki 弘前 | Osore-zan 恐山 | Hachinohe 八戸 | Akita 秋田 | Kakunodate 角館 | Morioka 盛岡 | Hiraizumi 平泉 | Yamagata and Yama-dera 山形と山寺 | Tsuruoka 鶴岡 | Sendai 仙台 | Matsushima 松島 | Shiroishi, Nihonmatsu & Shirakawa 白石、二本松、白河 | Aizu-Wakamatsu and Kitakata 会津若松と喜多方

Hiraizumi 平泉

A small, rural town in southern Iwate-ken, Hiraizumi's unassuming appearance belies its distant history as the power base of the Northern Fujiwara dynasty. Established as the capital of the realm by Fujiwara Kiyohira at the end of the 11th century, it was built into a grand cultural and religious center rivaling even Kyōto. Destroyed by the forces of Minamoto Yoritomo 1189 in their campaign against the Fujiwara, Hiraizumi became a mere ghost of its former self, with only the temple complex of Chūson-ji and gardens of Mōtsū-ji surviving from that golden age.
Festival lanterns at Hiraizumi Station
Festival lanterns at Hiraizumi Station		 Tsukimi-zaka slope to Chūson-ji
Tsukimi-zaka slope to Chūson-ji		 Buddhist altar at the foot of Kan-zan
Buddhist altar at the foot of Kan-zan		 Steps down to a lesser temple building
Steps down to a lesser temple building
Patches of sun breaking through the trees
Patches of sun breaking through the trees		 Dragon-lion statue at Benkei-dō
Dragon-lion statue at Benkei-dō		 Benkei-dō detail
Benkei-dō detail		 Chatting beside a rural panorama
Chatting beside a rural panorama
Smaller temple hall along the ascent
Smaller temple hall along the ascent		 Yaezakura blossoms and Iwate countryside
Yaezakura blossoms and Iwate countryside		 Yakushi-dō (Medicine Hall)
Yakushi-dō (Medicine Hall)		 Detail with hanging paper, Yakushi-dō
Detail with hanging paper, Yakushi-dō
Lantern and banners at the Hon-dō (Main Hall)
Lantern and banners at the Hon-dō (Main Hall)		 Hon-dō, Chūson-ji
Hon-dō, Chūson-ji		 Leading a tour group out of the Hon-dō
Leading a tour group out of the Hon-dō		 Visitors at the temizuya, Hon-dō
Visitors at the temizuya, Hon-dō
Jizō outside Fudō-dō
Jizō outside Fudō-dō		 Tying omikuji at Mine-yakushi-dō
Tying omikuji at Mine-yakushi-dō		 Dainichi-dō
Dainichi-dō		 Barred entrance to the Konjiki-dō (Golden Hall)
Barred entrance to the Konjiki-dō (Golden Hall)
Konjiki-dō main approach
Konjiki-dō main approach		 Altars and jizō by the Konjiki-dō
Altars and jizō by the Konjiki-dō		 Concrete hall housing the Konjiki-dō
Concrete hall housing the Konjiki-dō		 Steps leading to Tenman-gū
Steps leading to Tenman-gū
Time-weathered old hall
Time-weathered old hall		 Statue of Matsuo Bashō
Statue of Matsuo Bashō		 Approach to Hakusan-jinja
Approach to Hakusan-jinja		 Thatched roof of Nō Butai, Hakusan-jinja
Thatched roof of Nō Butai, Hakusan-jinja
Frontal view of the Nō stage
Frontal view of the Nō stage		 Miniature shrines in honor of the Chinese Zodiac
Miniature shrines in honor of the Chinese Zodiac		 Hakusan-jinja Nō Butai
Hakusan-jinja Nō Butai		 Gateway along the Tsukimi-zaka
Gateway along the Tsukimi-zaka
Jājāmen noodles - an Iwate speciality
Jājāmen noodles - an Iwate speciality		 Having a rest in Kyūkanjizaiō-in Teien
Having a rest in Kyūkanjizaiō-in Teien		 Hand-fishing kids in Kyūkanjizaiō-in Teien
Hand-fishing kids in Kyūkanjizaiō-in Teien		 Overview of the Jōdo-style garden
Overview of the Jōdo-style garden
Jōdo (Pure Land) Garden and pond at Mōtsū-ji
Jōdo (Pure Land) Garden and pond at Mōtsū-ji		 Hon-dō at Mōtsū-ji
Hon-dō at Mōtsū-ji		 Incense urn at the Hon-dō, Mōtsū-ji
Incense urn at the Hon-dō, Mōtsū-ji		 Narrow island and far side of the pond
Narrow island and far side of the pond
Small tree and resting boat, Mōtsū-ji
Small tree and resting boat, Mōtsū-ji		 Kaizan-dō at Mōtsū-ji
Kaizan-dō at Mōtsū-ji		 View across the rice paddy to the pond
View across the rice paddy to the pond		 Incense urn near the Kaizan-dō
Incense urn near the Kaizan-dō
Pair of dragon boats across the pond
Pair of dragon boats across the pond		 Remains of Kyōrō
Remains of Kyōrō		 Heian-era style yarimizu (Feeder Stream)
Heian-era style yarimizu (Feeder Stream)		 Little islet at the pondside
Little islet at the pondside
Winding yarimizu
Winding yarimizu		 Small bridge over the feeder stream
Small bridge over the feeder stream		 Buddha near the Jōgyō-dō (Circumambulation Hall)
Buddha near the Jōgyō-dō (Circumambulation Hall)		 Shoes at the steps, Jōgyō-dō
Shoes at the steps, Jōgyō-dō
Maple branches beside the pond
Maple branches beside the pond		 Rocky cape in miniature
Rocky cape in miniature		 Haiku monuments carved by Bashō
Haiku monuments carved by Bashō		 English translation of Bashō's famous haiku
English translation of Bashō's famous haiku
View along the pond to the Keizan-dō
View along the pond to the Keizan-dō		 Rocks off the cape
Rocks off the "cape"		 Sidewalk beside Hiraizumi's main street
Sidewalk beside Hiraizumi's main street		 Southbound local train at Hiraizumi Station
Southbound local train at Hiraizumi Station

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