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One day trip to Hiraizumi and Geibikei
I met up with the person from the “Iwate Hiraizumi Interpreters & Guides Association” at the newly renovated Hiraizumi Station. The town of Hiraizumi makes sure that our guests from all over the world have a great time with peace of mind, even if they come on their own. If you would like to know more about our history or culture, you can contact them to request that the Association sends a tour guide/interpreter who is fluent in English, Chinese, Korean or German.
We made our way to Mōtsū-ji from Hiraizumi Station. It only took us less than 3 minutes by car to get there. This time, the people who accompanied me were Mathew, who came to Japan a month ago, and Peggy who has been living in Morioka for 12 years. Mathew had never been to Iwate before so he was very excited. He was also very interested to learn how to visit a Buddhist temple. He really liked the temple’s Pure Land Garden, saying “The pond looks beautiful. I love how it is so peaceful”.
Then we headed for Chūson-ji, which was a mere 5 minute drive from Mōtsū-ji. The two seemed very fascinated with everything about Chūson-ji, taking pictures everywhere. We listened to the audio guide at Konjikido (Golden Hall), and they were very impressed saying “It was really something that everything was shining gold” and “It is incredible that they made this in the 12th century and it has survived until now”.
We took a walk on Tsukimizaka Slope (Main Approach) and the whole time, they were smiling saying “It is such a beautiful day and it feels so good to walk.”
For lunch, we enjoyed the Mochi Dishes (cooked sticky rice) at “Nokachaya” located in front of Chūson-ji’s main gate. The lunch set included Mochi, Hittsumi (vegetable soup with hand-cut noodles, chicken, carrots, burdock, shiitake mushrooms and leeks) and tempura. The Hiraizumi/Ichinoseki areas have a long history of “Mochi Cuisine”. Their “Mochi Cuisine,” which allows you to enjoy various flavors of Mochi with different condiments such as Zunda (paste made out of soybeans), Anko (bean paste) and Natto (fermented soybeans), is also very popular.
We recommend that you take the eco-friendly rental bikes or a Velotaxi. You can rent bikes in front of Hiraizumi Station.
In the afternoon we drove approx. 30 minutes to Geibikei Gorge, which is famous for its fantastic scenery and Sightseeing Boat.
We got on the barge and slowly went up the Satetsu River while listening to the boatman’s tour. In this area you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley with its colorful leaves and rocks which look like human faces and which are covered with Wisteria vines. In the clear water, big and small fish come so close to the barge that you can almost touch them. There is one more thing you can enjoy here which is called “Undama.” You can throw these Undama stones, which have words engraved on them like “Fate,” “Love,” and “Luck”, at a small hole across the river. If you are lucky and get the stone in the hole, your wishes will come true. Mathew and Peggy were both throwing the stones with serious expressions on their faces. Every time the stone went in the hole, they excitedly shouted “Good!”. It seemed like a good omen for their trip. On the way home we listened to the boatman sing “Geibi Oiwake.” The boatman’s voice echoed through the valley.
After spending half a day in Southern Iwate, both Mathew and Peggy told me that they had become really interested in the history of Hiraizumi.
They said, “It’s amazing that they had very large and ancient government buildings, second only to Kyoto’s in size, and you can still see the remains of them!”
Although Iwate Prefecture was affected by the big earthquake in March 2011, Hiraizumi was not significantly damaged, so we were able to move around easily and were able to find restaurants without any trouble.
Peggy Ishikawa
Hiraizumi was listed as a world heritage site in 2011. The 2 main sites are Mōtsū-ji and Chūson-ji. It existed in the 12th century. However, not much remains because many fires burnt down the buildings. The history is very old, but I was surprised to learn that during that time, it was the second largest place in Japan, with Kyoto being the biggest.
At Mōtsū-ji some corner stones remain of the original site. Some buildings were rebuilt later, and there are many signs at each building site that explains everything in both Japanese and English.
There is a large pond at the Mōtsū-ji site. It was created to represent the Buddhist Pure Land, so the design of the pond is very artistic and peaceful. The details and shape of the pond was carefully planned when it was created. For example, there is a long rock that sticks out of the pond which represents a bird that is believed to live in the pure land.
Many of Chūson-ji’s buildings, like Hondo, were rebuilt after the fire. However, Konjikidō survived. Konjikidō is a small temple covered in gold. It is breathtaking. The Buddha of Infinate Light sits there and is surrounded by other smaller Buddhas and warriors which are also covered in gold.
A few artifacts remain in Chūson-ji and are kept in Sankozo Museum (the treasure hall). There you can take time to look closely at the artifacts and see the special detailing, such as special shell shapes and peacock designs around the boxes. Some sutras are also displayed there. They were written on blue paper in gold and silver ink and some were written in a pagoda design drawn all in kanji characters.
At Geibikei gorge you can take a boat ride on the Satetsu river. The boat man uses a pole to push the boat up the river. The boat ride is really peaceful. The river is extremely clear and there are many small fish and colorful carp swimming around the boat.
Sheer cliffs line the river and the boat man explains many special points in Japanese. There is an English pamphlet with a map explaining all the points along the river for those who do not understand Japanese.
The Sightseeing Boat ride is about a 90 min return trip. At the end point, about 30 minutes up the river, everyone gets out and takes a short walk to the end of the sand bank. There is a hole in the cliff across the river which they call the Lion’s Snout. They say if you throw a rock in the hole, it is lucky. I got a rock in, but I forgot to check which kanji rock it was before I threw it. The rocks are sold there, 5 for 100 yen, and have different kanjis printed on it, for example Love 愛, Luck 運, and Fate 縁.
Mathieu Glacet
After coming to Iwate, I had heard about Hiraizumi, and its new addition to the list of Unesco World Heritage sites. I was excited to go, and I was in no way disappointed. First of all, I went to the temple grounds named Mōtsū-ji. The original temple complex itself was burned down and a new temple was rebuilt in 1989, but the original grounds, gardens, and the buildings’ cornerstones still remain. The area is extremely beautiful.
After visiting Mōtsū-ji, I went to the Chūson-ji complex. I visited the Treasure Hall, a building where are housed its remaining treasures, from gold plated iron artifacts, to ancient sutras written in gold and silver, to Buddha and bodhisattva statues with golden patterns. Built in the twelfth century, the Konjikidō (Golden Hall) completely took my breath away. Seeing a whole temple covered in gold was awe-inspiring. Inside the hall we could see a golden shrine decorated with mother-of-pearl and the golden statues of a Buddha and bodhisattvas. I will never forget seeing such an amazing site.
For lunch, I ate at a local food shop near the base of the temple complex. The meal consisted of tasty local specialities and more common Japanese foods such as tempura, spring onion mochi, a rice ball, cold local vegetables, and a traditional rice powder soup.
That afternoon, I visited one of the most scenic places in Japan, the Geibikei Gorge. The tour is given on a flatbed wooden boat driven by a pole. The gorge itself is beautiful at all times of year, but I went during the fall, so all of the trees perched on the rocks were changing color, and reflecting in the water. It was truly a great sight to see.
