Motsuji 毛越寺

Temple ruins, exemplary garden

Hiraizumi, the UNESCO world heritage site, has a few remaining spectacular temples. The Chusonji temple complex is breathtaking. I suggest that, when you visit Hiraizumi, Motsuji should be your first stop. This site is the ruin of the Tendai temples built by the Oshu Fujiwara lords nearly 1000 years ago. It's a good place to get a sense of the history of Hiraizumi. All the temples are lost, and the current Motsuji dates from the 18th century. It's not particularly interesting. The garden surrounding the pond, Oizumi ga like, is evocative of sea shores, jagged coastlines, and forested with evergreens and flowering trees. At the edge of the pond, what captivated me were the stone monuments commemorating the visit of Matsuo Basho. His poem about the lost warriors is inscribed here - "natsukusa ya tsuwamono-domo ga yume no ato". For haiku nerds and history buffs, it's a powerful place.