Hello, this is Mino, a Japanese living in Japan.
I visited Chūson-ji Temple during my trip to Hiraizumi, Iwate.
I took my camera with me and photographed the temple grounds, the surrounding trees, and some of the small details I came across along the way.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite photos from the visit.
Exploring the Grounds of Chūson-ji Temple
I walked around the grounds of Chūson-ji Temple, taking photos of the places that caught my eye.
The approach to the temple is quite a steep uphill climb, so I was already pretty tired by the time I arrived. However, there were plenty of beautiful spots along the way that made me want to take out my camera, from the trees lining the path to the scenery around me.
I mainly focused on photographing the buildings and surrounding scenery that day.
When I have a camera with me, I tend to notice not only the famous sights, but also the little details and ordinary scenes that I might otherwise walk right past.
Photos Taken at Chūson-ji
Here are some of my favorite photos from the visit.
① The Road to Chūson-ji
The clear blue sky and the road stretching out in front of me made this one of my favorite shots.
② Along the way
Just tall trees, but somehow, that was enough.
③ The Statue of Matsuo Bashō
This is one of my favorite photos from the day.
Apparently, the statue has some connection to Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)… or so I heard.
Konjikidō (Golden Hall)
Of course, one of the highlights of my visit to Chūson-ji was seeing Konjikidō, the Golden Hall.
You can take photos of the exterior from outside the fence without entering the ticketed area.
Photography is not allowed inside the Golden Hall, so I don’t have any photos of the interior. Still, it was one of the places I had really wanted to see during my visit.
There was a line when I first arrived, but a temple staff member announced that visitors did not need to form a line, so I was able to enter and see the Golden Hall quite quickly.
Since photography wasn’t allowed inside, I could simply focus on taking in what I was seeing instead of thinking about taking pictures.
Looking Back at the Photos I Took
Looking back at the photos from this visit, I realized that I had taken quite a few pictures of the trees, paths, and surrounding scenery, rather than just the buildings.
When traveling, I tend to focus on famous sights, but sometimes the photos I end up liking the most are the ordinary scenes I happened to photograph along the way.
I found a few of those kinds of photos at Chūson-ji, too.
Golden Hall Tickets: Buy in Advance
One of the main reasons I visited Chūson-ji was to see the Golden Hall.
For this trip, I purchased my ticket through KKday in advance.
You can also buy tickets at Chūson-ji on the day of your visit. However, when I visited, there were separate lines for cash payments and electronic payments, and both were fairly crowded.
You can also purchase a ticket through KKday on the day of your visit, but if you already know your travel dates, I recommend purchasing it in advance. Having your ticket ready beforehand can save you some time and make your visit a little smoother.
When I purchased my ticket through KKday, I was able to show the ticket on my smartphone when I arrived.
There are currently three types of tickets available:
- Combined ticket: Golden Hall & Sankozo + Special Exhibition of the Secret Buddha
Adults: ¥1,600 / High school students: ¥900 / Junior high school students: ¥700 / Elementary school students: ¥500 - Admission ticket: Golden Hall & Sankozo
Adults: ¥1,000 / High school students: ¥700 / Junior high school students: ¥500 / Elementary school students: ¥300 - Special Exhibition of the Secret Buddha
Adults: ¥700 / High school students and younger: ¥300
Since I was already there, I decided to purchase the combined ticket and also visited the special exhibition of the Secret Buddha.
Photography of the actual display is not allowed.
The price is the same whether you purchase your ticket through KKday or directly at Chūson-ji.
Final Thoughts
In this post, I shared some of the photos I took during my visit to Chūson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi.
The special exhibition of the Secret Buddha is available for a limited time, until November 15, so if you’re visiting Hiraizumi during this period, it might be worth checking out.
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