Chusonji Temple

Chusonji is a temple belonging to the Tendai sect of Tohoku Bunkyo, located in Hiraizumi Town and known as the temple of the famous Northern Fujiwara Clan. It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2011 as being a site of historic and cultural value with many cultural properties, including the Buddhist temple with a gold leafed hall known as Konjikido. The Konjikido is said to have been erected in the late Heian period as a resting place for the souls that were lost in the many battles for control of the Northern region of Japan. Konjikido was built by Kiyohira, the founder of the northern Fujiwara clan in 1124 and is designated as a national treasure of Japan. It contains buildings that represent the aesthetics and design of Pure Land Buddhism architecture at the time. The interior is divided into three rooms, which are covered in gold leaf on the inside and outside of the building. The casket below the altar holds the remains of 4 members of the Fujiwara Clan. On the temple grounds is the eternal flame, said to have been lit continuously since the times of the famous buddhist priest Saicho. The temple is still an important place of worship for the followers of the Tendai sect of Buddhism in northern Japan.