The four temples were a great reflection of wealth and power of the Oshi Fujiwara clan, but also have had a lot of influence on the subsequent construction of cities and temples in Japan. If not for anything else, visit Hiraizumi for its beauty.
Hiraizumi - Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land comprises five sites, including the sacred Mount Kinkeisan. It is home to government offices that date back to the 11th and 12th centuries when Hiraizumi was the administrative center of the Northern realm of Japan, even rivaling Kyoto.
The northern realm was based on Buddhism cosmology doctrine that believes in the ‘Pure Land Buddhism'. This doctrine was widely accepted into the Japanese religion in the 8th century. The complex is a representation of where people aspire to go after death. It is also where one transports his mind, albeit shortly, when he achieves peace of mind through prayers and meditation.
The combination of Shintoism and indigenous Japanese worship led to the development of the pure Land Buddhism and hence the concept of planning and designing a garden – a practice that was unique to Japan.
Hiraizumi is home to 4 Pure Land Gardens. Three of these gardens focus on the sacred Mount Kinkeisan and exemplify the blending of Pure Land Buddhism and Indigenous Japanese concepts. They brought to fore the Buddhism belief in water, gardening and landscaping.
Two of the gardens found here have been reconstructed using the evidence found in the excavated material, while two gardens remain buried. The ancient four gardens were the work of the Oshu Fujiwara Family, a branch of the northern ruling clan. They tried to reproduce the concept of Pure Land on earth. Their idea of the paradise was recreated by building temples and ponds, trees, and the peaks of Mount Kinkeisan. The heavily gilded temple of Chuson-ji is the only remaining temple from the 12th century. It reflects the great wealth that the clan had.
Much of the area was destroyed when the city lost its administrative duties in 1189. The great Hiraizumi’s wealth was also to go into decline as a 1689 poet known as Matsuo Basho wrote: 'Three generations of glory vanished in the space of a dream...’
The four temples were a great reflection of wealth and power of the Oshi Fujiwara clan, but also have had a lot of influence on the subsequent construction of cities and temples in Japan. If not for anything else, visit Hiraizumi for its beauty.