Chuson-ji Temple, Tohoku, Japan

5Favzoz 5:00 PM Nov 15, 2011

A Cultural World Heritage Site Must-See
I visited Chusonji Temple and the Hiraizumi area when the autumn leaves were starting to show their colors. It is believed to be founded in 850 C.E. and rebuilt during the 12th century and is the head temple of the Tendai Sect. It was founded by the Fujiwara clan (Fujiwara no Kiyohara). The Konjiki-Do or Golden Hall is a beautiful building. Back in the day, the Hiraizumi area was a leading producer of gold. The Golden Hall is all wood and covered in gold leaf, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It was completely rebuilt in the 1960s-you can only view the front of it because it is covered by clear acrylic panels. It was very crowded and busy the day we were there, maybe contributed to by the fact that there was a Fall Festival going on at the temple. The building originally stood in the open air, but is now completely enclosed by the building you go into to view it. There are examples of the mother of pearl inlay and more details in the museum, which is well worth viewing, to gain some insight. The Golden Hall is a mausoleum and the remains of the Fujiwaras are housed there. Chusonji is a beautiful, serene setting allowing for contemplation, observation, and a bit of tranquility from daily life. I enjoyed all the Buddhist art and history. I went there with relatives and family members and one of our party was 85 yrs. old. It was a bit rough walking for the senior person, but manageable. There are lots and lots of stairs, as is the norm in Japan. The temple is on a mountain, so there is a lot of uphil/downhill walking involved. I enjoyed every aspect of my visit there and would go again. This is a great place to also learn a little bit more about the Heian Period of Japan, when the Japanese Imperial Court was at the height of power and the actual rulers of the period were the Fujiwaras. A lot of great art and poetry came out of that period, too-one example is the famous Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. The March 11, 2011 earthquake didn't impact the temple structure itself; it's easy to get there by Tohoku Shinkansen and local trains to the Ichinoseki/Hiraizumi area. We traveled from Tokyo and stayed in a Japanese Inn in Hiraizumi and viewed the temple and surrounds in two days. It is about 2-3 hrs. from Tokyo by bullet train. The Inn we stayed at had an onsen, which I thoroughly enjoyed and the food was excellent! You can tour the temple in a couple hours or so. I personally would allot much more time simply because I really enjoy visiting Japan's temples and I think one needs to take time to get the full benefit of such visits.

5John 5:00 PM Oct 30, 2019

The temple consists of several buildings, including a museum, in a park
Plan on at least three hours to see the Chusonji temple complex and make sure you go into the museum as well as going into the Konjikido. The walk up to these two buidlings is through a beautiful park ascending to the buildings through a cyprus and maple forest. In November the maples are a brilliant panoply of reds yellows and oranges. If you are old like me, you may find yourself winded and you may stop a few times along the way. There are eating places and tasteful souvenir shops as you ascend. Visited 26 November 2018.