Last Updated: Jun 9, 2023

The Tragedy of Hiraizumi

Kyoto’s Rival City in the North

“Summer grass — all that remains of warriors’ dreams.”

— Matsuo Basho

When hankering for a unique historical experience, most foreign visitors immediately default to Japan’s former capital of Kyoto. After all, Kyoto is legendary across the globe for its rich and tangible culture. This notoriety however has come at a steep cost. More and more, Kyoto has come to feel like an amusement park that has been overrun by selfie stick touting tourists. The traveling hordes overwhelm the likes of Kiyomizu-dera and other famous landmarks that simply do not have the capacity or wherewithal to manage so many visitors. Consequently, the result is something akin to a kitschy and commodified experience that erodes the very solemn tranquility that put Kyoto on the map to begin with. Yikes!

Luckily, there are many other options for those yearning for authenticity. One of these is the forgotten city of Hiraizumi up in Iwate Prefecture. Often hailed as the “Kyoto of the North,” this area was said to have rivaled the old capital in splendor at its height. During the late Heian period (794–1185), Hiraizumi grew to be the seat of power for the Fujiwara family’s northern branch. For…