What to know
In the Heian Period (794–1185), the Fujiwara clan dominated Japan. In 1105, they established Hiraizumi (平泉) as the seat of their northern branch. The city flourished, growing in culture and political influence until it rivaled Kyoto, the imperial capital.
But in 1189, Minamoto Yoritomo—soon to become Japan’s first shogun—destroyed Hiraizumi. He was hunting his brother and rival Yoshitsune, who had found refuge with the local Fujiwara leader. The city never regained its former glory, yet it still holds some of Tohoku’s most precious historic sites.
