‘Eary summer rains / Fall not here / Temple of light’
by Basho
Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the Chusonji Temple, especially the golden hall. The hall was shining with a dazzling light, which seemed to have prevented the rain. It may have something to do with the discovery in Tohoku as a result of exploring the whole country because a large amount of gold was needed to manufacture the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in the Nara era.
You can’t reach the golden hall unless you climb a fairly long slope. There are many highlights, so let’s save your physical strength. One of highlights I thought was the backpack ‘oi’ Benkei used when he came back to Hiraizumi to accompany his master Yoshitsune and escaped from the army of Yoshitsune’s brother Minamoto no Yoritomo. I was surprised that there was something like this. It was made of wood with ‘Kamakura’ carving. How ironic it is that the name of carving method came from the capital name where Yoritomo put the political center.
Here around Chusonji Temple is strategic region that have been important since ancient times. It was the forefront base when the Yamato Imperial Court was trying to expand its power to the north in Heian period, and it was also the forefront of Emishi defense. The captured leader of Emishi, Aterui, was killed in Kyoto, almost the same as the fate of Yoshitsune. You can look down on Japan’s oldest ancient battlefield from the place you climbed up, but the only trace is the lush river. Against this background, another Basho haiku has been created.
