Best shrines and temples to visit in Fukuoka

Best shrines and temples to visit in Fukuoka

Fukuoka is the biggest, and also the most populated prefecture of Kyushu, and the prefecture is home to many great sightseeing spots to visit. The prefecture has many distinctive features and highlights, including the entertainment district in Nakasu, Kokura Castle, and also Ohori Park. However, in addition to those spots, the prefecture is also known for having many beautiful shrines and temples like Kushida Shrine, Tochoji Temple, and Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.

To give you more insights into this, we’ve come up with a list of some of the best shrines and temples to visit when you’re in Fukuoka.

Index : Best shrines and temples to visit in Fukuoka

1. Kushida Shrine
2. Tochoji Temple
3. Nanzoin Temple
4. Miyajidake Shrine
5. Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

1. Kushida Shrine

Kushida Shrine in Hakata is one of the oldest shrines in Fukuoka, and the shrine is widely known for its amazing Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival. The shrine was built in 757, when Hakata became a port city and started welcoming merchants and delegations from mainland China and Korea.

The shrine grounds used to have several shrine buildings dedicated to each of Shinto’s three gods; Amaterasu Omikami, Ohatanushi no Omikami, and Susano no Omikami, but they were later destroyed by fire in war. The current shrine building was rebuilt in 1587 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ever since then, Kushida Shrine enshrines Okushida-sama, the god of immortality and success in business. The shrine also has the largest otafuku mask in Japan, and a fountain where people pray for eternal youth.

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2. Tochoji Temple

Tochoji was built in 806 by Kobo-daishi Kukai, and it is known as the oldest temple of the Shingon sect in Japan, built by Kobo-daishi. The temple is also known as “Tocho-mitsuji Temple”, and the temple was originally located in the seaside area but later relocated to the present site by Kuroda Tadayuki, the second lord of Fukuoka Prefecture.

The temple later became a family temple of Kuroda family, and in the temple grounds, there are graves of the second lord Tadayuki, the third lord Mitsuyuki, and the eighth lord Harutaka. The temple has the largest seated wooden Buddha statue in Japan.

Tochoji Temple is now designated as a historical site of the city, and due to its uniqueness, the wooden statue is designated as a National Important Cultural Property of Japan.

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3. Nanzoin Temple

Nanzoin Temple is a Buddhist Temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka, and the temple is home to the world’s largest reclining bronze Buddha statue. The statue has an impressive dimension: 41 meters in length, 11 meters in height, and weighing in at 300 tons. The statue was completed in 1995, and ever since then it has become the main highlight of the temple.

The temple was originally located on Mt. Koyasan, but the temple was later relocated to the current site in 1899 under the leadership of Sasaguri priest, Hayashi Satoshiun. The temple is the main location among the 88 temples of the Sasaguri Pilgrimage route, one of the three famous walking pilgrimages in Japan.

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4. Miyajidake Shrine

Miyajidake Shrine is a shrine that sits high on a hill above the town of Fukutsu, which is just an hour by train from Fukuoka. There is a long, straight road that connects the shrine’s entrance and the sea, and this road has become a favorite spot for sunsets.

The shrine was built and dedicated for the Empress Jingu, and the shrine is famous for three sacred objects: a five-ton straw rope that hangs in front of the main hall, a giant bass drum, and an enormous bell. The shrine is also not so far from Munakata Taisha, another major shrine in the area, which is just a 15-minute drive to the north.

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5. Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

Amongst all Tenmangu Shrines in Japan, Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is the most important one, along with Kyoto’s Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Built and dedicated to the spirit of Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician of the Heain Period, all Tenmangu Shrines enshrine Tenjin, the Shinto deity of education.

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is very popular among the Japanese students, and many visit the shrine to pray for good results in exams and studies. The shrine has more than 1,100 years of history, and it was built after Michizane passed away in Dazaifu in 903, just a few years after being sent into exile. Shortly after his death, the country was destroyed by natural disasters, and many people believe that the disasters were caused by the wrathful spirit of Michizane, who was still angered by his unjust treatment. Since then, offerings have been made to the spirit of Michizane, and the shrine was later built on the site of his grave.

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