Some 1,000 years ago when Kyoto was the capital of Japan, the northeastern part of the country was a remote region deserted from civilization. The Earlier Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War in the 11th century initialized a drastic change in the history of northeastern Japan. After the two wars, Fujiwara Kiyohira ruled the Oushuu district. Supported by rich resources of gold, horses and lacquer, Kiyohira rebuilt Chusonji Temple and concentrated on adopting Kyoto's extravagant culture. In spite of the distance from Kyoto, a highly advanced cultural center flourished in northeastern Japan. The prosperous era lasted three generations of the Fujiwara family (Kiyohira, Motohira, and Hidehira) which ended when Hidehira died of an illness in 1187. Minamoto Yoritomo, who wanted to conquer the Oushuu region and eventually rule the nation sent his troops to the district. In 1189 the Fujiwara troops were defeated, putting an end to 100 years of a golden era developed by the Fujiwara family.
