Path to temple complex

It's much colder in Iwate than elsewhere in Japan, and so not all the cherry blossom had fallen even by this late in the year. Some of it fluttered down with the wind as I was walking, looking like pink snow.

Temples

May 12th 2010
Today I took the train to Hiraizumi - a 20 minute ride from my base in Mizusawa and a quaint little town that (incidentally) happens to be a world heritage site. Undeterred by the rain, I sallied forth and was not disappointed. My first stop was to a Cave Temple called Takkoku-no-Iwaya Bishamon-Do (try saying that to the bus driver and getting it right!). Cave Temple is a little misleading as ... read more

Asia » Japan » Iwate » Hiraizumi

In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more

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