Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi

Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi is the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
The site covers 5 locations. Four of these places are Buddhist temples. The sacred Mount Kinkeisan is also included in the group The properties and their buffer zones are covered by a range of Japanese government protections as historic sites and places of scenic beauty.
History.
Hiraizumi was an important political, military, commercial, and cultural centre from the late-11th century until the late 12th-century. This time was marked by the building and endowment of Buddhist temples, art and gardens.
Pure Land Buddhism developed a concept of planning and garden design that was unique to Japan.
The four Pure Land gardens of Hiraizumi show the ideals of Pure Land Buddhism. The gardens also show Japanese concepts about the relationship between gardens, water and the surrounding landscape.
The four gardens were developed by the Ōshū Fujiwara clan. The poet Matsuo Bashō was inspired by this Fujiwara legacy. In 1689, Bashō wrote: "Three generations of glory vanished in the space of a dream ..."
In 2011, UNESCO listed parts of Hiraizumi as a World Heritage Site.