Motsuji Temple
Motsuji Temple
4
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Special Historical Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty The garden represents the Pure Land Buddhist world and beauty of Japan. The temple garden of Motsu-ji has been doubly recognized as a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty, a tribute to its extraordinary cultural value. The temple itself, like Chuson-ji, is said to have been established in 850 by Ennin (Jikaku Daishi, third head abbot of the Tendai sect.) Building began here in the twelfth century, during the time of Fujiwara no Motohira, and was completed by his son, Hidehira. At its peak, Motsu-ji was home to more than forty halls and pagodas, and more than five hundred monks' quarters. Its main hall, Enryu-ji, was considered "without peer in all the land" by medieval sources. The garden is centered on a pond known as Oizumigaike, an exemplar of the elegance of Heian era gardening technique.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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457 reviews
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Dondinou
106 contributions
Mar 2022
The entrance fee is a bit too expensive (700 yen + 300 yen for parking) for what there is to do in the temple's precinct. The Pure Land Lake is pretty, and the temple main hall is beautiful in itself, but I wished they paid more attention to the English translation of their signs, there are major mistakes sprinkled across the signs.
For example, the sign in front of the temple dedicated to Amithaba says that "Amida-nyorai" is "Mahavairocana" in English. Vairocana is Dainichi-nyorai. Completely different from what it is.
The Japanese signs have no problem however. As it is a World Heritage site, I would have hoped they hired a translator who knew Buddhism to do the English versions.
For example, the sign in front of the temple dedicated to Amithaba says that "Amida-nyorai" is "Mahavairocana" in English. Vairocana is Dainichi-nyorai. Completely different from what it is.
The Japanese signs have no problem however. As it is a World Heritage site, I would have hoped they hired a translator who knew Buddhism to do the English versions.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PeterSam
Japan11,209 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
Almost no buildings remain at Motsuji Temple, and it has become a place to enjoy the pond and scenery.
For garden lovers, it is a great spot.
I slowly enjoyed the scenery as I changed locations.
I got the feeling that Fujiwara no Motohira, the second lord, through to the third lord Hidehira, must have admired the buildings and style of Kyoto.
Apparently there was a building at the time that was modeled after the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple in Uji.
Towering behind the Motsuji Temple garden is Mt. Kinkei, which is said to be "a symbolic mountain that became the standard for the development of Hiraizumi."
In Oku no Hosomichi, Matsuo Basho read, "The summer grass is the remains of men's dreams."
For garden lovers, it is a great spot.
I slowly enjoyed the scenery as I changed locations.
I got the feeling that Fujiwara no Motohira, the second lord, through to the third lord Hidehira, must have admired the buildings and style of Kyoto.
Apparently there was a building at the time that was modeled after the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple in Uji.
Towering behind the Motsuji Temple garden is Mt. Kinkei, which is said to be "a symbolic mountain that became the standard for the development of Hiraizumi."
In Oku no Hosomichi, Matsuo Basho read, "The summer grass is the remains of men's dreams."
Written June 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LTB511
Japan35,087 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
About a 10-minute walk from Hiraizumi Station.
Admission fee is 700 yen. This Tendai sect temple was founded in 850 by Jikaku Daishi Ennin. It was rebuilt by the second and third lords of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, Motohira and Hidehira, but all of the buildings and pagodas were lost in subsequent fires and wars. The Jogyodo Hall was rebuilt in 1732, but the main hall was rebuilt in the Meiji period. The current main hall was built in 1989 and is new, made of wood with some steel frame and copper roofing. The principal image is a standing statue of Yakushi Nyorai. Although there are remains of the temple complex, almost no historical buildings remain, and the highlight is the Pure Land garden centered around the restored Oizumigaike Pond.
Admission fee is 700 yen. This Tendai sect temple was founded in 850 by Jikaku Daishi Ennin. It was rebuilt by the second and third lords of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, Motohira and Hidehira, but all of the buildings and pagodas were lost in subsequent fires and wars. The Jogyodo Hall was rebuilt in 1732, but the main hall was rebuilt in the Meiji period. The current main hall was built in 1989 and is new, made of wood with some steel frame and copper roofing. The principal image is a standing statue of Yakushi Nyorai. Although there are remains of the temple complex, almost no historical buildings remain, and the highlight is the Pure Land garden centered around the restored Oizumigaike Pond.
Written March 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
愛宕山
Kyoto, Japan675 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
It is about a 10-minute walk from Hiraizumi Station. The temple grounds are spacious, and the Pure Land garden is beautifully arranged around Oizumi Pond. There is a walking path along the pond, and you can walk around it in about an hour. There are benches here and there, so you can take a leisurely stroll. Although the first haiku of August is not the flowering season, the lotus fields were already blooming with late-blooming lotus flowers.
Written August 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PeterSam
Japan11,209 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
Mōtsūji is one of the constituent assets of Hiraizumi, a World Heritage Site.
The Pure Land Garden has been restored and a beautiful garden pond spreads around Oizumi ga Ike Pond in the precincts.
The temple grounds are home to the Mōtsūji Garden, which is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
There used to be two large temples (Kondo Enryuji and Kajoji) across the pond.
Before that, there is a Pure Land garden.
Excavations revealed that it had been well preserved in its original state.
It is one of the few remains of the late Heian period.
It is also a valuable remnant in the history of Japanese gardens.
Oizumi-ga-ike Pond represents the sea and Tsukiyama represents a rocky mountain approaching the coast.
The Pure Land Garden has been restored and a beautiful garden pond spreads around Oizumi ga Ike Pond in the precincts.
The temple grounds are home to the Mōtsūji Garden, which is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
There used to be two large temples (Kondo Enryuji and Kajoji) across the pond.
Before that, there is a Pure Land garden.
Excavations revealed that it had been well preserved in its original state.
It is one of the few remains of the late Heian period.
It is also a valuable remnant in the history of Japanese gardens.
Oizumi-ga-ike Pond represents the sea and Tsukiyama represents a rocky mountain approaching the coast.
Automatically translated
Written June 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
k_matsu132
Kushiro, Japan22,595 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
After visiting Chusonji Temple, we continued our tour of Hiraizumi's World Heritage Site. Motsuji Temple was located about 1km south of the Chusonji temple parking lot.
As you enter the temple grounds through the entrance gate, you will see the Treasure Museum and Main Hall on your left, and looking north from there you will see a garden known as the "Pure Land Garden" with Oizumigaike Pond at its center.
This garden is Motsuji Temple's biggest attraction. We walked around Oizumigaike in a clockwise direction on the path that surrounds it. Across the pond from the Main Hall is a hall called Jogyo-do, and behind it runs a waterway called "Kana-sui." The bottom of the water is paved with pebbles, which further enhance the surrounding scenery and are beautiful.
As you enter the temple grounds through the entrance gate, you will see the Treasure Museum and Main Hall on your left, and looking north from there you will see a garden known as the "Pure Land Garden" with Oizumigaike Pond at its center.
This garden is Motsuji Temple's biggest attraction. We walked around Oizumigaike in a clockwise direction on the path that surrounds it. Across the pond from the Main Hall is a hall called Jogyo-do, and behind it runs a waterway called "Kana-sui." The bottom of the water is paved with pebbles, which further enhance the surrounding scenery and are beautiful.
Written December 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MizuhoK
Hino, Japan4,104 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
The Hiraizumi episode of Bura Tamori started here. Speaking of Hiraizumi, it's the Golden Hall of Chusonji Temple, which is also a World Heritage Site. The large Oizumi pond and the gardens surrounding it are magnificent. There are several halls around the pond, and their structure is similar to Chusonji Temple, which has many smaller halls in addition to the main hall. The structure of the Yarimizu water feature is magnificent. Next to it is the ruins of Kanjizaio-in Temple. It's a little far from Chusonji Temple, so if you have a rental car, it's convenient to get around the Chusonji area, not just here.
Written January 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martina1888
Inverness, UK506 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Much more peaceful than Chuson-ji although smaller. There's a temple building and you may even enter it. It's lovely to walk around the pond and relax. There are ruins from an old temple building and a small museum. It's maybe 10min from the train station by foot.
Written October 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yokoyoko1973
Guangzhou, China1,155 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
I visited here when I visited Chusonji Temple's Golden Hall. This is also one of the World Heritage sites in the Hiraizumi area. It is a historic area, but many buildings have been lost. You can see the remains at the main temple. I think you can get an idea of how prosperous it was at the time.
Written September 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chuzaa
Vancouver, Canada3,483 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
Before going to the town of Hiraizumi, we had no knowledge about this Motsu-ji Temple. When we visited the Chuson-ji Temple to see the Konjiki-do Hall, we were suggested to also visit this temple and that’s how we learned about it.
It was something like a five- or six-minute drive from the parking lot at the foot of the Chuson-ji Temple. The Motsu-ji Temple had a large parking lot close to the temple itself. By presenting a coupon given at the Chuson-ji Temple parking, we got a reduction of JPY100 at the Motsu-ji Temple parking (down to JPY200).
We were surprised to see the scale of the temple complex. What the Motsu-ji Temple today has is a new main hall (completed in 1989) near the original site and a small museum. What the Motsu-ji Temple had in the early 13th century is all gone, except for the huge pond and the surrounding gardens (“Jodo Teien” or Pure Land Garden) that still shows the scale of the original temple complex.
It was a very windy day and we initially thought about not walking around the huge pond; we were glad we did it. As we walked around the route, we could see the foundation stones of the old temple buildings. One of the noteworthy things was a small artificial stream between some temple buildings. It was not only a water feeder to the pond, but also a site where high-ranking people enjoyed outdoor “tanka” poem composing sessions in the spring time during Nara and Heian Periods.
Near the entrance was a stone plaque about Matsuo Basho’s haiku done in 1689 right here in Hiraizumi. Dr. Inazo Nitobe translated it into English and they are at the Motsu-ji Temple.
The summer grass
‘Tis all that’s left
Of Ancient warriors’ dreams
It was something like a five- or six-minute drive from the parking lot at the foot of the Chuson-ji Temple. The Motsu-ji Temple had a large parking lot close to the temple itself. By presenting a coupon given at the Chuson-ji Temple parking, we got a reduction of JPY100 at the Motsu-ji Temple parking (down to JPY200).
We were surprised to see the scale of the temple complex. What the Motsu-ji Temple today has is a new main hall (completed in 1989) near the original site and a small museum. What the Motsu-ji Temple had in the early 13th century is all gone, except for the huge pond and the surrounding gardens (“Jodo Teien” or Pure Land Garden) that still shows the scale of the original temple complex.
It was a very windy day and we initially thought about not walking around the huge pond; we were glad we did it. As we walked around the route, we could see the foundation stones of the old temple buildings. One of the noteworthy things was a small artificial stream between some temple buildings. It was not only a water feeder to the pond, but also a site where high-ranking people enjoyed outdoor “tanka” poem composing sessions in the spring time during Nara and Heian Periods.
Near the entrance was a stone plaque about Matsuo Basho’s haiku done in 1689 right here in Hiraizumi. Dr. Inazo Nitobe translated it into English and they are at the Motsu-ji Temple.
The summer grass
‘Tis all that’s left
Of Ancient warriors’ dreams
Written May 31, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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