Mizusawa Park

Kyozukayama

Kyozukayama is said to have been Fujiwara Hidehira's sutra store in the old days. At the top of the mountain, there is a ``horseshoe stone'' where Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have left his hoof prints while riding his horse. Also, the view from the top of Mt. Kyozuka is truly amazing, with the Ou Mountains in the distance and the Isawa Fan spreading out from there. There are quiet villages and countryside scattered there. The meandering Kitakami River flowing slowly at the foot of the mountain quietly conveys to us the changing seasons of Michinoku. The azaleas are in full bloom in late May, and in the summer you can enjoy hiking from the nearby Gassan Campsite.

Honokizawa Nenbutsu Kembu

It is said to be the successor to the Takadate mokke, which was created to commemorate the soul of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the master and servant who died a tragic end in Hiraizumi, Oshu. The ghosts of Minamoto no Yoshitsune's master and servants appeared every night, and Yasuhiro, who was at a loss, asked him to pray for the ghosts to disappear, but then a monkey, an incarnation of the Buddha, appeared and mingled with the raging ghosts, dancing while chanting Nembutsu, and the ghosts disappeared. This dance is based on the idea that people's hearts were softened and they attained Buddhahood. It is dedicated at the annual festival held on September 16th at the Isedo Hall in Isawakoyama, Oshu City, and at Chusonji Temple and Motsuji Temple during the Fujiwara Festival in Hiraizumi in spring and autumn. As one of the "furyu dances", "Oni Kenbu", which includes Honokizawa Nenbutsu Kenbu, has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2022.11.30) [ Oshu City Homepage ]

Komagata Shrine

In 1903, the shrine that was located at the top of Mt. Komagatake was moved to its current location. It is a quiet shrine surrounded by cherry blossoms and old cedar trees. Along with the cherry blossoms in Mizusawa Park, it has been designated as a natural monument by the prefecture as a group of Higan cherry blossoms. A children's cavalry parade is held as an annual spring festival.