Hiraizumi Iwate 2 岩手県平泉町 ２

From early in the morning I visited Chusonji and Motsuji temple. I actually brought my SLR camera for today.

朝から中尊寺と毛越（もうつう）寺を見学する。今日のために一眼レフを持ってきたようなものだ。

"The summer grass is all that's left of ancient warriors' dreams" This monument of famous haiku by Matsuo Basho can be foundat Tsuneyoshido where Minamoto Tsuneyoshi is enshrined. From there on, the old war site in a vast plate and along Kitakami river can be seen.

「夏草や、兵どもが夢の跡。」この芭蕉の句の碑は、義経が祭ってある高館義経堂にあり、そこからは北上川沿いの広々とした平野に昔の戦場跡が見渡せる。

For lunch, nobody can avoid Wanko-soba in Iwate. This is not the one that somebody sits beside you and fill your bowl with soba noodle but self service. It is said that just eating soba will make you bored, they serve also tempura and sashimi as Hashi-Yasume "chopstick rest", side dishes that would be eaten between main dish. Here the main dish means of course soba noodle.

お昼は、わんこそば。岩手に来ておいてこれを避けるわけには行くまい。ただこれは、隣におかありを入れてくれる人がいるタイプではなく、セルフサービスだ。蕎麦ばかりでは飽きると言うことで、箸休めとして天ぷらや刺身まである。

Then in Motsuji. Here is famous for Yarimizu, its water channel in the garden. After long time walk, I had zunda-mochi at a cafe. This is the one I discovered really nice in Iwate.

それから毛越寺。ここは遣水で有名な庭園があるところだ。歩きつかれてきたころに茶屋でずんだもちを頂く。これは岩手で見つけた逸品。