Takadachi Gikeidō
archeological site in Hiraizumi, Japan
Takadachi Gikeidō (高館義経堂) is a Buddhist chapel located in Hiraizumi in what is now southern Iwate Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan, dedicated to Minamoto no Yoshitsune. It was designated a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in 2014 as part of the Landscapes of the Oku no Hosomichi. It is managed by neighboring Mōtsū-ji.
Overview
The chapel is located on the site of the Battle of Koromogawa, and was built on the ruins of the Koromogawa Palace (衣川館, Koromogawa-no-tachi) of Fujiwara no Motohari as was mentioned in the Azuma Kagami. The palace was located on a hill overlooking the Kitakami River some 500 meters east-southeast of the temple of Chūson-ji. In 1189, it was occupied by Fujiwara no Yasuhira, who extended shelter to Minamoto no Yoshitsune after the latter had a falling out with his brother, Minamoto no Yoritomo. This provided Yoritomo with a pretext to declare war on the Northern Fujiwara and his forces quickly overran the defenses of Hiraizumi. The palace was destroyed and was the site of Yoshitsune's last stand with his faithful retainer Benkei, as was celebrated in the medieval account Gikeiki.
In 1683, the 4th daimyō of Sendai Domain, Date Tsunamura built a memorial chapel on the site, and enshrined a statue of Yotsushine. This was visited by famed poet, Matsuo Basho in 1689, and a memorial stelae was later erected commemorating a famous haiku Basho wrote about this site.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Takadachi Gikeidō” is archeological site in Hiraizumi, Japan. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Takadachi, Gikeidō and archeological, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “archeological site in Hiraizumi, Japan” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11626375. Authority coordinates are 38.997, 141.114. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2014, 1189, 1683 and 1689.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Takadachi Gikeidō”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Takadachi Gikeidō primary sources, Takadachi Gikeidō archive and Takadachi research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Takadachi Gikeidō”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Takadachi Gikeidō” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.