Hiraizumi is located in Iwate precture near the northern tip of Honshu, Japan's largest island. Hiraizumi was the northern seat of the ruling Fujiwara clan during the Heian period (794 ~ 1185), and is said to have rivalled the capital of Kyoto in terms of culture, politics, and commerce at the time. Although the population is currently less than 10,000, at its peak Hiraizumi was bustling with almost a million people, which would have made it one of the largest cities on earth at the time.
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