Chuson-ji Main Hall

This is a Tendai sect temple located in Hiraizumi Town, Nishi-Iwai District, Iwate Prefecture, serving as the head temple for the Tohoku region. The principal enshrined deity is Shaka Nyorai (Shakyamuni Buddha). According to temple tradition, it was founded in 850 CE (Kajo 3) by the monk Jichido Daishi Ennin. However, the substantial founding is attributed to the early 12th century, when Fujiwara Kiyohira, the first ruler of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, established 'Tahodo-ji' and constructed a formal temple complex. Kiyohira built this grand complex to mourn the spirits of both allies and enemies who died in the Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War, aiming to manifest a Buddhist Pure Land on earth. Among its structures, the Konjikido (Golden Hall), built in 1124 CE (Tenji 1), is an Amida Hall covered entirely in gold leaf inside and out. Designated as the first National Treasure building, it preserves the splendid court culture of the four generations of the Oshu Fujiwara clan (Kiyohira, Yasuhira, Hidehira, and Yasuhira) over approximately 100 years. In 2011, the site was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site under the name 'Hiraizumi'.