Chusonji TempleUnclaimed

Take an Iwate Kenkotsu bus (Ichinoseki-Maesawa line) from JR Hiraizumi Station for about 5 minutes and get off at the Chusonji stop. By car it is about 6 minutes (about 3.4 km) from Hiraizumi-Maesawa IC on the Tohoku Expressway.

The Tsukimizaka approach is a sloping stone-paved climb. Some sections are difficult for wheelchairs and pushchairs, so please consult the temple office in advance. The area around the Konjikido is relatively flat.

Zazen meditation and sutra copying can be experienced in the main hall. Each costs 1,000 yen and requires advance booking. Please contact the Chusonji office (tel: 0191-46-2211) for details.

Within Hiraizumi town, besides Chusonji, the Motsuji temple (with its Pure Land garden), the Muryokoin ruins, Mount Kinkeisan and the Yanaginogosho site are inscribed as the World Cultural Heritage site Hiraizumi. It is about 20 minutes' walk from Chusonji to Motsuji.

Summer (1 March to 3 November) 8:30-17:00; winter (4 November to the end of February) 8:30-16:30. The temple is open all year round.

The Konjikido is housed inside a protective hall and the Sankozo is also an indoor exhibition, so both can be viewed without difficulty in the rain. The Tsukimizaka approach is stone-paved and becomes slippery when wet, so please wear non-slip shoes.

The autumn leaves are usually at their best from late October to early November. The cedar avenue, ginkgo and maple trees in the grounds change colour, and an autumn illumination event called Koyo Ginga is also held (usually on weekends from late October to early November).

Walking up the Tsukimizaka approach and visiting the main hall, the Sankozo, the Konjikido and the Kyu-Oido takes at least an hour and a half to two hours. Allow more than two hours if you want to look around thoroughly.

The combined ticket for the Sankozo, Konjikido, Kyozo and Kyu-Oido is 1,000 yen for adults, 700 yen for high school students, 500 yen for junior high school students and 300 yen for elementary school students. The temple grounds themselves (the approach and the area around the main hall) can be walked free of charge. Groups of 30 or more receive a 10% discount.

Holders of a disability certificate (療育手帳, physical disability certificate or mental health certificate) receive half-price admission on presenting the certificate at the ticket office.

It is a National Treasure Amida hall covered entirely in gold leaf, built in the 12th century by Fujiwara no Kiyohira, the first lord of the Oshu Fujiwara clan. The remains of four generations of the Fujiwara family are enshrined inside, and it can be viewed together with its magnificent Buddhist statues decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e lacquer. It is now preserved inside a concrete protective hall.

There are first and second car parks. Rates are 400 yen for a standard car, 800 yen for a microbus, 950 yen for a large vehicle and 50 yen for a motorcycle. The first car park is open all year; the second has irregular closures from December to March.

202 Koromonoseki, Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi Town, Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture

Parking is available. Please check the official information for details.

Adults 1,000 yen, high school students 700 yen, junior high school students 500 yen, elementary school students 300 yen (combined ticket for the Sankozo, Konjikido, Kyozo and Kyu-Oido)

Open all year round.

Summer (1 March to 3 November) 8:30-17:00; winter (4 November to the end of February) 8:30-16:30

About 5 minutes by bus from JR Hiraizumi Station (Iwate Kenkotsu Ichinoseki-Maesawa line; get off at the Chusonji stop) / about 6 minutes by car (about 3.4 km) from Hiraizumi-Maesawa IC on the Tohoku Expressway.