Hiraizumi, Iwate
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Hiraizumi (平泉町; -chou) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate, Japan. It was considered a cultural capital of northern Japan duing the Heian era.
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[edit] History
During the Heian era, Hiraizumi was the northern capital of the Northern Fujiwara clan and is said to have rivalled Kyoto in splendor and sophistication, and has been called the "Kyoto of the North".
Hiraizumi's golden age lasted for nearly 100 years, but after the fall of the Fujiwaras the town sank back into relative obscurity, and most of the buildings that gave the town its cultural prominence were destroyed. When the poet Matsuo Bashō saw the state of the town in 1689 he penned a famous haiku about the impermanence of human glory:
- Natsu kusa ya! / Tsuwamono-domo ga / yume no ato
- Ah, summer grasses! / All that remains / Of the warriors dreams. [1689] [1]
However, the town's historical monuments and sites are currently on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site status [2], and archeological work is being carried out to support this claim.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,811 and a density of 139.00 persons per km². The total area is 63.39 km².
The town lost some land to the city of Ichinoseki (2nd generation, now part of the 3rd generation city) from September 1, 1956 to May 1, 1964.
[edit] Famous places
Hiraizumi has a number of officially listed National Treasures and other culturally or historically notable sites, including:
[edit] Transportation
[edit] External links
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