Guide
Mt. Kinkei (Kinkei-zan) is a 98.6m high mountain located in Hiraizumi Town, Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. In 2011, it was registered as a component of the UNESCO World Heritage site, "Hiraizumi: Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land." It is also designated as part of the "Oku no Hosomichi" scenic landscape. This mountain served as the spiritual foundation for the development of the Hiraizumi area and is situated almost midway between the famous Chuson-ji and Motsu-ji temples. Near the summit, copper vessels and pottery used in ancient Buddhist repositories (Kyozuka) have been discovered, highlighting its profound historical and religious significance.
The name of the mountain comes from the legend of a pair of golden chickens buried at the summit. One legend tells of how the mountain was raised overnight during the construction of Muryokoin Temple, built by Fujiwara no Hidehira to resemble the Byodo-in Temple in Uji, Kyoto. The historical presence of this site is even noted by the famous poet Matsuo Basho, who wrote about the enduring form of Mt. Kinkei. In 1930, when the area near the summit was excavated in search of the legendary golden chickens, researchers actually discovered artifacts from a Buddhist repository, proving that the mountain is not just a place of myth, but a site of immense archaeological value.
Surrounding Mt. Kinkei are several important structures that tell the story of Hiraizumi's history. At the foot of the mountain lies Senju-do, where the memorial tablets of the three generations of the Fujiwara clan and a wooden statue of Hidehira are enshrined. The