Chuson-ji Temple

Hiraizumi, Japan

The temple's Hondo (main hall, reconstructed 1909) is shown here. Chusonji (official website; Wikipedia article) is the head temple of Tendai Buddhism in the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan.

According to tradition the temple was founded by Ennin in 850 AD, but no evidence of a 9th century temple exists today. The current temple was built by Fujiwara no Kiyohira of the Northern Fujiwara family, and dedicated in 1126, although only two buildings - the Golden Hall and the Sutra Hall - remain from that time.