Hiraizumi

The Japanese town of Hiraizumi is located in the northern part of Honshū Island in Iwate Prefecture and has an important historical past. It was one of the richest towns in Japan in the 12th century and rivalled Kyoto for its wealth. The town belonged to the Ōshū Fujiwara clan, even when the Minamoto clan ruled Japan. It is here that Minamoto no Yoshitsune was forced to commit suicide by his half-brother Minamoto no Yoritomo. He killed himself as his companion, the monk Benkei, died on his feet, pierced with arrows. A commemorative stone now marks the spot where this event took place. The town has kept some traces of its glorious past, even though it is now only a small country town.