Hiraizumi

Hiraizumi 平泉町
Town
Chūson-ji, a World Heritage site in Hiraizumi
Flag Seal
Location of Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture
Hiraizumi
Coordinates: 38°59′01″N 141°07′02″E / 38.98361°N 141.11722°E / 38.98361; 141.11722Coordinates: 38°59′01″N 141°07′02″E / 38.98361°N 141.11722°E / 38.98361; 141.11722
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Iwate
District	Nishiiwai
Government
• -Mayor	Masayoshi Sugawara (since September 2010)
Area
• Total	63.39 km2 (24.48 sq mi)
Population (February 2014)
• Total	7,976
• Density	126/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Cryptomeria
- Flower	Sakura
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	0191-46-2111
Address	45-2 Hiraizumi Shirayama, Hiraizumi-chō, Nishi-Iwai-gun, Iwate-ken 029-4192
Website	Official website

Hiraizumi (平泉町, Hiraizumi-chō^?) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2014, the town had an estimated population of 7,976 and a population density of 126 persons per km². The total area was 63.39  km².

It is noted for the Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi, which achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2011 [1].

Hiraizumi is the smallest municipality in Iwate Prefecture in terms of area. located in a basin in south-central Iwate Prefecture, surrounded by the Kitakami Mountains.

The area of present-day Hiraizumi was part of ancient Mutsu Province. It was the home of the Hiraizumi Fujiwaras for about 100 years in the late Heian era and most of the following Kamakura period. At the same time it served as the de facto capital of Ōshū, an area containing nearly a third of the Japanese land area. At its height the population of Hiraizumi reached 50,000 or more than 100,000, rivaling Kyoto in size and splendor.

The first structure built in Hiraizumi may have been Hakusan Shrine on top of Mount Kanzan (Barrier Mountain). A writer in 1334 recorded that the shrine was already 700 years old. Although rebuilt many times, the same shrine is still standing in the same location.