written by Ryohei Endo

What is Kanjizaiō-in Ato? The Revived Jodo Garden conveys the scenery of the past to the present!

English Blog Sightseeing

Good evening, I’m ryo!

Thank you for coming to my Blog.

There’re a lot of wonderful places in Iwate, so I want many people to come to Iwate.

By the way, Did you know that “Hiraizumi” registered as a World Heritage Site in 2011 consists of five assets including the representative “Chusonji”?

Today, I will introduce one of its assets “Kanjizaiō-in Ato“. It is the site of a temple that is said to have been built by the wife of Fujiwara no Motohira, and now you can see the beautiful Jodo Garden as a historic park.

What is Kanjizaiō-in Ato?

What is Kanjizaiō-in Ato?

Hiraizumi that was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2011 currently consists of five assets. “Kanjizaiō-in Ato” is the ruins of a temple that is said to have been built by the wife of Fujiwara no Motohira, and is one of the assets. (Other assets are “Chusonji”, “Motsuji”, “Muryoko-in Ato”, “Mt. Kinkeisan”)

The large and small Amida-do were built on the north side of Maizuru Pond in the center, so it is said to be a Jodo(Pure Land) Garden that represents paradise. Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, Kamo Festival, Uji Byodo-in Temple, and other places in Kyoto that were in the capital at that time were drawn on the inner wall of the Amida-do.

Based on the archaeological excavation, the remains of the cathedral and the garden have been restored and maintained, and now it has been revived as a historic park, and you can see the beautiful garden that conveys the past scenery to the present. In addition, on May 4th every year, a strange festival called “Naki Matsuri” is held at the site of the Kanjizaiō-in Ato, which is a memorial service for Motohira’s wife.

The Revived Jodo Garden conveys the scenery of the past to the present!

The Revived Jodo Garden conveys the scenery of the past to the present!

Now, the Kanjizaiō-in Ato is maintained as a historic park. It’s located near the gate of Motsuji Temple, and is about a 5-minute walk from Hiraizumi Station.

It has a beautiful Jodo Garden centered around Maizuru Pond in the center and two Amidados on the north side. In addition, “Mt. Kinkeisan” located further north of the garden is one of the assets. Anyone can easily take a walk in the garden, and it is a good place to stop by after visiting Motsuji Temple.

Hiraizumi is the place where Oshu Fujiwara built an era as the center of golden culture. I think there are also various stories in the Kanjizaiō-in. so while looking at the beautiful Jodo Garden, I thought about the scene at that time. If I can travel back in time, I would like to see the streets and people’s lives of Hiraizumi, which was said to surpass Kyoto.

Where is Kanjizaiō-in Ato?

Where is Kanjizaiō-in Ato?
Address Shirayama, Hiraizumi, Nishiiwai district, Iwate.
Access 【By Car】Ichinoseki Station~ Kanjizaiō-in Ato about 20min
Ichinoseki Station~Hiraizumi Station(JR Tohoku line about 8min)~Kanjizaiō-in Ato(on foot about 5min)