[2025 Hiraizumi Attraction] Travel Guide for Motsuji Temple (Updated May)

[Access] About 20 minutes by taxi from Ichinoseki Station [Points] ~Enjoy the World Heritage Site at your leisure~ Motsu-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 850. Although much of it has been burned down, the Pure Land Garden and the remains of the temple buildings from the Heian period have been preserved almost in their original state. Please visit Motsu-ji Temple, which has been designated by the government as both a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. *Information current as of May 2023. #Tourist Spot

#Hiraizumi #Motsuji Motsuji Temple is located in Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture. It is a temple characterized by its magnificent main hall and magnificent garden. Actually, there used to be other temples and buildings in the garden area, but they burned down and no longer exist. Famous temples in Hiraizumi are quite far apart from each other, so it is possible to walk between them, but there is a bicycle rental shop in front of Hiraizumi Station, so I recommend renting one. By the way, I think you can get to Motsuji Temple from the station in about 15 minutes by bicycle. #SummerShortTrip#AmazingView

Today, we are visiting Mōtsū-ji Temple and Chūson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi. Early in the morning, we headed to Sendai Station. Initially, we planned to have breakfast at Date Cafe O'rder and buy some rice balls. However, since it was my first time in Sendai, I didn’t know that the cafe was located on the second floor of Sendai Station, which is the JR local train level, while the JR Shinkansen platform is on the third floor. As a result, we couldn’t find the cafe. Later, as the departure time approached, we had no choice but to enter the platform and bought sandwiches and a yakisoba bento at the station to prepare for our Shinkansen ride. Since we had pre-purchased tickets online and linked them to our Suica card, there was no need to use cash or queue up to buy tickets on-site, making the process relatively convenient. Additionally, we could pre-select our seats to ensure we had a place to sit. On April 28, the start of Golden Week, we were worried about the crowds, so we booked tickets in advance. While there were still plenty of reserved seats available, the unreserved seats were already full, and some Japanese passengers were even standing in the aisles of the reserved carriages. After arriving at Ichinoseki Station, some people chose to exit the station and take a shuttle bus directly to Chūson-ji Temple. We opted to take the JR Tōhoku Main Line to Hiraizumi Station to first visit Mōtsū-ji Temple and the Kanjizaiō-in ruins. Mōtsū-ji Temple (もうつうじ) is an important Buddhist temple from Japan’s Heian period and belongs to the Tendai sect. It was founded in 850 AD by Ennin, a prominent Buddhist monk, and later rebuilt by Fujiwara no Kiyohira. During the Heian period, Hiraizumi was the political center of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan, and Mōtsū-ji Temple was one of the key representations of Buddhist culture at the time. Its garden design is considered to embody Pure Land Buddhist thought and has been designated as a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty in Japan. As you stroll through the gardens of Mōtsū-ji Temple, you’ll encounter various ruins. All the wooden structures have been destroyed, leaving only the foundations and remnants. Although I don’t know much about feng shui, I could sense that the temple’s feng shui is excellent, with an atmosphere that brings a sense of peace. The Kanjizaiō-in ruins now consist of just a site with remnants, as all the buildings were lost in a devastating fire.

2025.03.29 I borrowed an electric bicycle in Iwate Hiraizumi. We visited Motsuji Temple and Chusonji Temple respectively. Independent from the world, In cultural heritage, Gained a spiritual feast. Visiting a shrine, The woods surround the pond. How to obtain the Goshuin and the Amulet? Let this trip, Full of energy, I like visiting shrines. Most of the reasons, That's it.

#Spring0yentrip Hiraizumi was a place where deep history and prayers live in silence. First, we visited Chusonji Temple, where we were overwhelmed by the brilliance of the Golden Hall (photography is prohibited, so there are no photos). The moment we stepped inside the building, the air felt tense and we naturally straightened our backs. As we walked along the approach surrounded by greenery, we had a strange feeling as if time was slowly rewinding. Next, we visited Motsuji Temple, where the spacious garden was impressive and time passed quietly and peacefully. In particular, as we walked around Oizumigaike Pond, the sky and trees reflected on the water's surface were beautiful, and just looking at them made us feel relaxed. Traces of the Pure Land gardens of the Heian period still remain, and we felt like we were able to touch a little bit of the "ideal world" that people at that time felt. The whole town was somewhat solemn, and rather than just sightseeing, the words "journey to clear your mind" fit better. It wasn't flashy, but every step had weight. It was a place where you could feel the old beauty of Japan.

Japan's World Cultural Heritage**Motsuji Temple Because it is a world cultural heritage, you must visit Motsuji Temple. Visit: Tickets Parking lot: Yes (charged) Motsuji Temple 58, Hiraizumi, Osawa, Hiraizumi-machi, Nishi Iwai-gun, Iwate Prefecture (Map Code: 142 253 099*03) The worship and tour took about an hour. The garden was well visited. It was beautiful, peaceful, and great for taking photos. It was beautiful no matter how you took the photos. The whole garden is like a painting. Take a slow walk around, the whole atmosphere is wonderful. When it comes to flower season, it is still as beautiful as a painting. #Motsuji Temple #JapanWorldCulturalHeritage #Tiantai Sect Special Mountain #MarchGoodPlaces2025

Motsuji Temple is a temple characterized by its beautiful gardens that spread out in silence. The pond garden in particular is spectacular, and you can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons. Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and autumn leaves reflect in the pond in autumn, and it is attractive that it shows a different face with each season. A large pond spreads in the center of the garden, and you can enjoy the beauty of nature while walking around it. It is a perfect spot when you want to calm your mind.🌸🍂 🕰️Business hours: 8:00-17:00 📍Location: 38 Motsuji, Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi-cho, Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate Prefecture #0 yen trip February 2025

An amazing place, we drove there ourselves. Within the precincts of Mōtsū-ji Temple, there is not only a vast Jōdo (Pure Land) garden, but also an area where you can view up to 30,000 irises, as well as various ruins and a treasure museum. With Mount Tōzan to the north as a backdrop and Ōizumi Pond at the center, the surroundings feature sandbars, water-dividing stones that mimic waves crashing against rocky shores, standing stones resembling breakwaters, and rock formations in the style of dry landscape gardens, creating an enchanting natural scenery. This garden has preserved the ideas and techniques from Japan's oldest gardening book, the Sakuteiki, for over 800 years, still harmonizing beautifully with the surrounding trees and landscape, maintaining its original beauty. The temple's introduction is written clearly, so even first-time visitors won't have to worry about where to go for worship.

In January 2024, I visited Hiraizumi again. There are memories from before, and this time I came here with my friends. Fortunately, it rained the day before. Although it was cloudy at Motsuji Temple today. But I am already very satisfied. No need to hold an umbrella. #Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan #World Cultural Heritage #FriendsJourney

Registered as a World Heritage Site in 2011, this garden is one of Japan's most representative, and is filled with the world of Pure Land Buddhism. It takes about 30 minutes to walk around the large pond. It is said that the garden was created by the Oshu Fujiwara clan in an attempt to recreate the Pure Land, the Buddhist land, on earth. It is said that at one time, Motsu-ji Temple was larger than Chuson-ji Temple. After the fall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, all the buildings were burned down, but the Pure Land garden, centered around Oizumigaike Pond, has been preserved in almost perfect condition. Designated as a special historic site and special place of scenic beauty by the government. The Pure Land garden retains its appearance from the Heian period. The autumn leaves were also beautiful! 58 Osawa, Hiraizumi-cho, Iwate Prefecture ★Open all year round ★8:30am to 5pm (4:30pm from November 5th to March 4th) ★Admission fee: Adults 700 yen High school students 400 yen Elementary and junior high school students 200 yen #PR #Hiraizumitourism #Hiraizumi #Autumn leaves #Autumn leaves spot #Motsuji Temple #Iwatetourism

Motsuji Temple is located about 1 km from Chusonji Temple. At the time, there were many temples, but now there are several temples lined up around the main temple, Motsuji Temple. The former buildings remain as cultural properties. There is a large pond in the center of the park that you can walk around. The Iris Festival was being held on the day, so I took a photo in front of the beautiful irises and the pond. #Domestic travel