Minamoto no Yoshitsune fled to the Oshu Fujiwara after being pursued by his brother Yoritomo, but on the 30th of the 4th intercalary month of 1189, Fujiwara no Yasuhira attacked his Koromogawa residence under Yoritomo's pressure, and Yoshitsune took his own life at age 31. Centuries later, Basho stood here and penned his haiku about summer grass and warriors' dreams.

In 1189, Minamoto no Yoritomo's conquest of the Oshu Fujiwara destroyed Motsuji's grand halls in the flames of war. Fujiwara no Yasuhira took his own life and his severed head was displayed at Hiraizumi, ending a century of Fujiwara glory. The surviving Pure Land garden preserves the afterglow of the Heian culture Yoritomo brought to an end.