Hiraizumi is a small town in Iwate with a past far larger than its present. In the 12th century, the Northern Fujiwara built a Buddhist city here that was meant to rival Kyoto. Most of that splendour is gone, but enough remains for Hiraizumi to feel like one of northern Honshu's most moving historical stops.
The headline is Chuson-ji, especially the gold-covered Konjikido hall. Motsu-ji is quieter and more spacious, with a Pure Land garden built around water and stones. The ruined palace and temple sites around town ask for a little imagination, but they make sense once you see the whole landscape as a planned Buddhist capital.
Hiraizumi is easy by train, with the Shinkansen stop at Ichinoseki only a short local ride away. Rent a bicycle if the weather is kind; it turns the temple circuit into a pleasant day rather than a string of bus stops.