Chūson-ji

In 1105 Hiraizumi became the seat of the northern branch of the Fujiwara, the most powerful clan of the Heian period, and this town in Iwate came to rival Kyoto itself. Chusonji is what survives of that northern golden age. Its Konjikido, a small hall completely covered in gold, dates back to 1124 and now stands inside another building for protection. The hall outlived the town, which Minamoto Yoritomo razed in 1189, the same warlord who then set up Japan's military government in Kamakura. That makes Chusonji a vivid way to see the end of aristocratic rule. It is a five-minute ride by regular bus, or a 20 to 30 minute walk, from JR Hiraizumi Station.