If you have already visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Mt. Fuji and maybe some other popular tourist spots in Japan. Then you may want to see somewhere different. You could try this hidden, rural but very “Japanese” town in northern Japan. You might discover a different type of enjoyment. The place is called Hiraizumi. Here you will find temples, shrines, Japanese gardens, old stories and the great feeling of being a part of nature. All this to discover in just one place!
On the way
Hiraizumi is located in Iwate prefecture, the northern part of the Japanese main island Honshu. It is about 3 hours by Shinkansen and a local train from Tokyo. Yes, it is not very difficult to go to this country town. You don’t need to drive a hire car and struggle with all the Japanese road signs or find parking. You don't even need to walk hundreds of kilometers through the mountains fighting with bears or wild boar. You can sit down on a nice comfortable Shinkansen seat while glancing at passing landscapes in the seasonal color out of the window. You have a cup of coffee and a pack of snacks that you buy from Shinkansen attendants that constantly wander up and down the train. Everything is smooth, everything is efficient. After a few hours of this quality entertainment, suddenly you are there. You arrive in the little magical town surrounded by mountains and rivers.
The World Heritage site
Hopefully you put on some hiking shoes or sneakers at least. Because you wouldn’t see the true beauty of this area without walking through the forested hills. The relatively new townscape that you see when you get off at the Hiraizumi station is not the main spectacle. Get the tourist map at the station and it’s time to start walking! Firstly you have a short walk down to the Moutsuu-ji Temple that was built in 850 AC. (It was burnt down a few times.) Moutsuu-ji has a great garden and is registered as a World Heritage site.
Walk and feel
After the Moutsuu-ji Temple, I recommend to take a side trip on the way to other tourist spots like temples, shrines and museums. E.g. walk up on the hiking course in the mountain that leads you to Chuson-ji temple and you will see the quiet yet magnificent scene of tidy traditional houses surrounded by seasonal flowers that are not often seen by tourists. You hear the birds, a creek and trees in the gentle breeze. It is much better than walking on the narrow roads hearing car noises. I went there in late spring (May). I think it was one of the best seasons to travel there. It was a hot day (nearly 30 degrees C) but not steamy. When you feel tired, sit down under the trees, drink a bottle of water and look down at Kiatakami river that flows across the town.
Old story
When you see the river, please take a read of a famous haiku (Japanese poem) written by one of the greatest haiku masters, Matsuo Basho:Japanese: 夏草や 兵どもが 夢の跡Direct words: Summer grass — all that remains of warrior dreamsMeaning: In this place where soldiers fought for glory once upon a time is now only leafy grass left. It all went away like a piece of a dream.When Basho visited Hiraizumi in 1689, it was the 500th year since Northern Fujiwara fell after their glory in this wide area.
Hiraizumi Navi: http://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/index.html