Travel in Hiraizumi
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Informations on Hiraizumi: history, politics, economy, culture, Did you mean: Hiraizumi
For an other version of this travel guide, please visit Ooaj.com: Travel in Hiraizumi + Hotels
Hiraizumi (??) is a small town in Iwate, in the northeastern Tohoku region of Japan.
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Understand
- ??? ???? ???
- natsugusa ya tsuwamono-domo ga yume no ato
- Summer grass — all that remains of warrior dreams
- -- Matsuo Bash?
During the reign of the Fujiwaras (866-1184), Hiraizumi was said to rival Kyoto in grandeur and sophistication, but now all that remains are the temples of Chusonji and Motsuji, both of which are mostly in ruins at that. Famed haiku poet Matsuo Basho penned the famous haiku quoted above, with the end result that now Basho is more idolized in Hiraizumi than anywhere else. You can't throw a rock in Hiraizumi without hitting a Basho statue, a Basho monument, an inscribed copy of a Basho haiku or at the very least a coffee shop waving its "As mentioned in Narrow Road to the Deep North!" banners.
Get in
By train
Hiraizumi is on the JR Tohoku Main Line, connecting to Morioka in the north and Sendai to the south.
The nearest Shinkansen stop, Ichinoseki, is only 10 minutes away (¥170). Trains from Tokyo reach Ichinoseki in about 2 1/2 hours (¥12470 for the one-way trip to Hiraizumi; no charge with the Japan Rail Pass).
Get around
Local buses connect JR Hiraizumi station to points of interest, although you can also reach them on foot.
See
- Ch?son-ji Temple?(???). Hiraizumi's largest and most famous temple, renowned particularly for its Golden Hall (??? Konjikid?) — which, unlike Kyoto's Golden Pavilion, is housed inside a large glass case. Entry a rather steep ¥800. 5 minutes by bus or 20 on foot from the station.
- M?tsu-ji Temple (???). The second of Hiraizumi's two large temples, known for its Heian-era Pure Land Garden (??? J?do-en) dating to 800 AD. The garden seems downright un-Japanese in its liberal use of wide, grassy spaces — but most of the open spaces have scattered rocks and are marked with small posts in the middle, indicating the locations of destroyed temple buildings. Entry into the garden and the small museum ¥500. 10 minutes on foot from the station.
Buy, Eat & Drink
There are a number of small teahouses and souvenir stands in the grounds of Ch?sonji.
Sleep
Budget
- Motsuji YH. Tel. 0191-46-2331, 1 (http://www.jyh.or.jp/english/touhoku/motsuji/index.html). Definitely the most interesting place to stay in Hiraizumi, this youth hostel is located on the grounds of Motsuji and run by the temple itself.??You can even sample zen meditation in the mornings — if you're willing to wake up at 6 AM! A bed for the night costs ¥2940, (plus an optional ¥630 for breakfast), including entry to temple grounds and the museum.
External links
- Hiraizumi Town (http://www.town.hiraizumi.iwate.jp/) (Japanese only)