Yanaginogosho Iseki

Yanaginogosho Iseki is often closed to the public, so the museum provides a way for visitors to learn about Hiraizumi's history and the former palace.

This used to be a temple, but all that remains is the temple's pond.

Buddhist sutras were once buried on this mountain.

Built by Fujiwara Motohira's wife, it was originally a large garden. A fire destroyed it in the 16th century but many of the structures were rebuilt. Today, it's more of a park, although there are still some preserved elements that remind you it was once a garden.

The second of Hiraizumi's two large temples, known for its Heian-era Pure Land Garden (浄土園 Jōdo-en) dating to 800 AD. The garden seems downright un-Japanese in its liberal use of wide, grassy spaces — but most of the open spaces have scattered rocks and are marked with small posts in the middle, indicating the locations of destroyed temple buildings.

Hiraizumi's largest and most famous temple, renowned particularly for its Golden Hall (金色堂 Konjikidō) — which, unlike Kyoto's Golden Pavilion, is housed inside a large glass case. True to the name, the shrine inside is elaborately decorated with golden lacquer and mother-of-pearl, with three Buddha images.