秋直前の平泉の大自然 Enjoying the Outdoors in the Last Days of Summer

9月の平泉は夏と秋のちょうど間の時期として、大変暑くてじめじめした真夏から少し涼しくなってきますが、まだまだ樹々の緑や花々がたくさん見られる季節です。平泉の自然環境を楽しむにはとても向いている時期でもあります。

平泉のその自然を通る散策トレイルが二つありまして、世界遺産のお寺も含んでいるルートで、ゆったりと一日を外で過ごすことが出来ます。もしくは、平泉をベースとして、一~二泊ゆっくりと過ごしながら、県南地域の景色も楽しめます。

一つ目のトレイルは平泉ネイチャートレイルです。毛越寺と中尊寺の両寺をつないでいる散策トレイルなので、平泉の歴史文化も自然環境も一緒に見ることができます。毛越寺または中尊寺どちらからでも行けますので、都合のいい方向から回ることをおすすめします。

September is a time of transition, marking the end of summer and the beginning of fall in Hiraizumi. It’s likely to be the first real break from the humidity and sweltering heat of summer, but there’s still time before the temperatures dip into the cooler range of autumn, and the majority of the foliage won’t have changed color just yet. In other words, it’s an excellent time to get out and enjoy the last gasp of summer, and explore the vibrant natural scenery of Hiraizumi and the larger area.

In Hiraizumi, you can enjoy a couple of our nature trails that really show off some of Hiraizumi’s natural scenery, and even incorporate our World Heritage temples as part of the walk. Or, you can range out a little further, and use Hiraizumi as a base for a day trip before you come back to spend the night.

The first walking trail, and the more accessible, is the Hiraizumi Nature Trail, which happens to connect to both Mōtsū-ji and Chūson-ji temples, making it a convenient way to get your fill of the historical sights of Hiraizumi, as well as the natural surroundings, all in one go. (You can start from either end, but if you’d like to plan for a break after the hike, there are a few more options for dining or refreshments on the Chūson-ji side.)

毛越寺側のトレイルの入り口と照井堰
The Mōtsū-ji trailhead, following the path of the historic Terui Canal

 

寺といえば、両寺ともこの時期はとても気持ちがいいです。毛越寺では、浄土庭園は晴れの日にはとても明るく、陽も暖かく、広い庭園にはそよ風も入るので、とても気持ちいいです。また、15日~30日の間は庭園の萩が花咲く「萩祭り」も開かれます。華奢で小さな花はきれいで、祭りの期間と合わせて伝統芸能である延年の舞や座禅体験なども楽しめます。

そして、中尊寺では、境内は高くて大きな杉の木に囲まれており、日差しを少しやわらげてくれますが、光が木の間から差し込んで、数々の寺をスポットライトで照らしたようにきれいに見せてくれます。

Either way, you can start by enjoying the temple on either end of the trail. On clear days, the garden at Mōtsū-ji this time of year is warmed by the sunshine, but the open garden usually guarantees a mitigating breeze as you make your way around the grounds, making for a very pleasant stroll.

During the latter half of the month, from the 15th to the 30th, Mōtsū-ji also marks the blooming of the bush clover flowers with their Bush Clover Fair, which also includes a performance of the Ennen-no-Mai, an ancient ritual dance. Visitors can also sign up to practice meditation at the temple, with monks instructing. The cultural performances can be a welcome addition to a day outdoors, and the delicate pink blossoms are a delight.

At Chūson-ji, the shade from the tall, stout trees all around the grounds and the mountainside provide a degree of shade that helps keep cool even in the sun, and the light filtering through the branches does a lovely job of highlighting the temple scenery and the numerous shrines throughout the complex.

毛越寺の浄土庭園で咲いている萩の花
Bush clover flowers blooming at Mōtsū-ji Temple

 

散策トレイルは、中尊寺側では、寺の裏山の湿地帯や沼地の木道を通って山の上まで登り、山頂からは平泉周辺のかこくやずっと遠い山まで一望できます。
そして、毛越寺側になると、山の稜線から森を抜けて、照井堰用水と共に毛越寺までたどり着きます。
照井堰は古くから厳美渓から毛越寺の浄土庭園の水を運んでいました。古代の水道を脇にして庭園の背後を通るトレイルは、舞台裏のツアーのような感覚で、ちょっとわくわくした気持ちになります。また、流れる水の音は落ち着いた雰囲気ももたらします。

When you’re finished exploring the temple at either leg, you can start on the walking trail. On the Chūson-ji side, you’ll make your way along a boardwalk that lifts you above some of the wetter terrain as you make your way through the foothills, and eventually up a climb over the mountain ridge, which includes some far-reaching views of the river valley surrounding Hiraizumi.

On the Motsu-ji side, the run-up to the ridge sees the trail winding through woods, and closer to the temple, alongside a historical waterway that was originally put in place hundreds of years ago to let water flow from Genbikei Gorge to supply the pond in the temple’s garden. The placid sound of the water burbling through the canal is calming, and feels a little like an exciting insider’s look at the history of the temple and the garden as you walk past the traditional earthworks and intake behind the temple.

中尊寺側のトレイルの木道
The boardwalk at the Chūson-ji trailhead

 

半日の散策と寺の拝観が終わりましたら、近くの飲食店で休憩もできます。中尊寺方面では、駐車場の周辺にお店が何店かありますし、毛越寺のほうでは数分離れた所に食堂(特にお蕎麦屋さん)もいくつかあります。

もう一つのトレイルは西行桜の森ルートという、町の東にそびえる束稲山の上の方を散策できるコースです。町から少し離れているため、車・レンタカーの利用をおすすめしますが、トレイルのほとんどがそのままの状態を活かして整備された山・森を通るため、自然の環境がとても豊です。
名前の通り、西行法師も詠んだ桜の花が、春にはとてもきれいに咲いているのですが、まだまだ9月にも緑いっぱいの森が楽しめます。そして何より美しいのは、複数の展望台から、あるいは、登りながら樹々の間から見える平泉周辺や北上川の風景です。

もちろん、平泉以外にも、岩手県南部の地域ではその他の自然を楽しめることもできます。例えば、平泉で宿泊する場合、近くには厳美渓・猊鼻渓もありますし、車・レンタカーを利用する方々なら、栗駒や須川の山に行くと、平泉の緑と山の上の早や紅葉を一度に見ることもできます。

Then, once you’re finished with your walk and explored the Temples, there are plenty of convenient restaurants to sit down for a meal or just refreshments while you catch your breath. At Chūson-ji, you can find a handful around the parking lot at the base of the temple’s hill, and at Mōtsū-ji, there are a number of shops within walking distance on the way back to the train station, especially soba noodles.

Hiraizumi also sports a second trail, the Saigyo Sakura Forest trail. The trailhead for this hike begins up on Mt. Tabashine, which rises up to the East of central Hiraizumi. Being that it’s a bit removed, we suggest visitors rent a car to explore this trail, but the expansive views from high on the mountain as seen from the trail’s lookout platforms, or glimpsed between the trees, makes the trip worth it.

If you want to use Hiraizumi as a base for exploring the area, it’s also in a convenient location to stay a night or two, and range out to the rugged whitewater gorge at Genbikei, or the river boat cruise at Geibikei, or even further along to a hike at Kurikoma or Sukawa, where you can glimpse the fall colors in full swing at their higher, cooler elevation before returning to the still-green Hiraizumi.

束稲山から見た展望
A view of the Kitakami river valley from high up on Tabashine

 

9月の平泉は秋の紅葉や冬の輝く雪はまだですが、天気がとてもきれいで気持ちのいい季節です。夏の樹々の緑や野の花はまだ見られますので、平泉の散策トレイルと岩手県南の大自然を楽しむにはとても向いている時期です。

If you enjoy the outdoors and natural scenery but want to dodge the worst of the heat, September is the time to visit Hiraizumi and south Iwate. The green and the wildflowers will still be visible, but the humidity and temperature are a far cry from the wilting heat of summer. While the most vibrant sights of spring and summer may have passed, and the explosive fall foliage and beautiful frosting of fresh snow are yet to come, it’s the perfect time to travel and explore outdoors in relative comfort before the winter chills set in.