Fukuoka’s Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Dating back over 1,100 years, Fukuoka’s Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine is dedicated to – and built on the burial site of – the famous Heian Period poet and scholar, Sugawara Michizane. After his death, he became deified as Tenman Tenjin, the Shinto deity of learning. This is why the shrine is popularly visited by students who come to pray for luck during exams, as evidenced by the huge number of ema charms hanging around the shrine. Good luck charms are available for purchase at the amulet counters within the shrine grounds.
Covering 330,000 square meters, the sprawling grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangu is dotted with over 6,000 plum trees. Sugawara was known for his love of plum trees, and the tree next to the main hall is the legendary tobiume (flying plum tree), said to have flown from Kyoto to be with him. In addition to catching the plum blossoms from mid-February to mid-March, you can also savour some umegae mochi – grilled rice balls stamped with images of plums.
Dazaifu Tenmangu
Address: 4 Chome-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka 818-0195
Access: Dazaifu Tenmangu is a five-minute walk from Dazaifu Station
Operating hours:
6am to 7:30pm (June to August)
6:30am to 6:30pm (December to March)
6:30am to 7pm (Other times of the year)
Website: Dazaifu Tenmangu
