Hiraizumi (平泉町, Hiraizumi-chō) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 April 2020, the town had an estimated population of 7,408 and a population density of 120 inhabitants per square kilometre (310/sq mi) in 2,616 households. The total area of the town was 63.39 km2 (24.48 sq mi). It is noted for the Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi, which achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2011.
In 2011, six of the city's attractions were made World Heritage Sites under the name "Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens, and Archaeological Sites Representing Pure Land Buddhism". Those sites are: Chuson-ji, Motsu-ji, Kanjizaio-in Ato, Muryoko-in Ato, Yanaginogosho Iseki, and Mount Kinkeisan.
There are a number of small teahouses and souvenir stands in the grounds of Chūsonji.
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 10 minutes away (¥200). Trains from Tokyo reach Ichinoseki in about 2½ hours (¥12,820 for the one-way trip to Hiraizumi; no charge with the Japan Rail Pass).
Local buses connect JR Hiraizumi station to points of interest, although you can also reach them on foot. Bicycle hire is available just to the right of the station, it is ¥1,000 for the whole day (lesser periods are available) it allows you to get around quickly and enjoyably.
: 夏草や 兵どもが 夢の跡 : natsukusa ya tsuwamono-domo ga yume no ato : Summer grass — all that remains of warrior dreams :::::::::: small-- Matsuo Bashō/small
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 quite possibly more idolized in Hiraizumi than anywhere else, and 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.
