What to know
Motsuji (毛越寺, Mōtsūji) was once a vast and important Tendai sect temple in Hiraizumi, with many buildings. Like Chusonji, its fortunes rose and fell with the Fujiwara family. Today, Motsuji is famous for its garden, one of the few remaining Pure Land gardens in Japan.
Pure Land gardens were a popular Heian Period style, meant to recreate the Buddhist concept of paradise. Like all such gardens, Motsuji's centers on a large pond. The best way to enjoy it is to walk the 500-meter path around the pond.
Visitors will see signposts marking where former buildings once stood. The foundations remain, letting you imagine the temple's former grandeur. These ruins inspired the famous haiku poet Basho to write one of his most celebrated poems, reflecting on the impermanence of glory.
Motsuji still has several standing buildings worth seeing: the Hondo (main hall), the Cultural Assets Repository (a treasure house with historical artifacts), and the Kaizando (a hall commemorating the third Tendai patriarch and the three Fujiwara lords who ruled Hiraizumi).
From Hiraizumi Station, Motsuji is a 3-minute ride on the Hiraizumi Loop Bus or a 10-minute walk.
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 8:30 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from November 5 to March 4)
- Closed
- No closing days
- Admission
- 700 yen (~$4.48)
- English name
- Motsuji Temple
- Original name
- Motsuji Temple
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.