# Motsuji Temple

> A UNESCO World Heritage temple in Hiraizumi featuring one of Japan's finest Pure Land gardens from the Heian period.

- Prefecture: Iwate
- Type: Temple
- Address: Hiraizumi, Iwate, Japan
- Admission: 700 yen
- Official site: https://www.motsuji.or.jp/en/

Motsuji Temple is a serene Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi. Founded in 850 CE by the monk Ennin, the temple reached its zenith under the Northern Fujiwara clan in the 12th century when it rivaled even the capital Kyoto in cultural splendor, housing over 40 temple halls and 500 monks' quarters. Though the original buildings were lost to fire, the temple's Pure Land Garden has been meticulously preserved and is considered one of the most complete surviving examples of Heian-period garden design in all of Japan. The garden centers on a large pond called Oizumi-ga-Ike, surrounded by carefully placed rock formations, gravelly beaches, and gently rising hills that together represent the Buddhist paradise on earth. Each May, the temple hosts the Gokusui-no-En poetry festival where participants in Heian-period court dress compose poems beside a winding stream, recreating a tradition that dates back to the golden age of the Fujiwara.

## FAQ

### How do I get to Motsuji Temple?

It is a 7 to 10 minute walk from JR Hiraizumi Station. Hiraizumi is reached from Ichinoseki Shinkansen station by a short local train or bus.

### What is Motsuji known for?

It is part of UNESCO-listed Hiraizumi. Its serene Jodo (Pure Land) garden around the Oizumi-ga-ike pond is one of Japan's best-preserved Heian-era paradise gardens.

### What are the entry fee and seasonal events at Motsuji?

Entry is around 700 yen, and it is open from about 8:30 to 17:00. The Gokusui-no-en poetry festival recreates Heian courtly verse-floating in late May, and irises bloom in early summer.

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Source: Motsuji Temple — Japan Voyage