Fukuoka Attractions | Seeking the God of Learning and the Way of Art at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

#100 Ways to Travel Attraction: Fukuoka Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine 📍Address: 4-7-1, Zaifu, Dazaifu City 🕰️Business hours: General hours 06:30 (06:00 in summer)~19:00 (19:30 in summer/18:30 in winter) 💰Per capita consumption: free 💰Shopping street consumption: ¥3,000 yen~ 💞Recommended reasons: #Fukuoka A must-visit attraction, #Dazaifu #Tenmangu Shrine has more than 10 million tourists every year, worshiping the god of #lore "#觅hara Michizane". As one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan, it is also the main shrine of the 12,000 Tenmangu Shrines in Japan. It is the largest shrine in Kyushu. Transportation strategy: Take the No. 11 "# Traveler" bus from Hakata Bus Terminal. It is the most convenient and does not require transfers and has many buses. From JR Hakata Station, take the Kagoshima Main Line to Futukaichi Station, walk to Nishitetsu Futukaichi Station, and transfer to the Nishitetsu Dazaifu Line to Dazaifu Station. From Tenjin "Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station", take the Nishitetsu Tenjin-Omuta Line directly to "Dazaifu" Station. Some trains must get off at "Fukkaichi" and transfer. As soon as you exit the station, you can reach the Tenmangu Shrine, starting from Dazaifu Station, and there are various shops and restaurants along the way. You can buy plum juice cakes at small coffee shops and dessert vendors along the path. Anyway, just follow the crowd, because everyone is going to Tenmangu Shrine. The shopping street is full of delicious food and souvenir shops, and I’m full even before I reach Tenmangu Shrine. It is recommended that you come to Tenmangu Shrine earlier to pay homage, and on your way back around 11 o'clock, you can do some shopping and have lunch before returning to Fukuoka. It is suitable to visit all year round. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, towering ancient plum trees and nan trees in summer, maple trees in autumn, and it is so romantic to enjoy snow in winter. After passing the torii gate, you will soon see #神牛, and you can pat its head to pray for wisdom. Before entering the main hall, you will pass by the heart-shaped pond and the red bridges representing "past", "present" and "future" respectively. The bridge in the middle, representing "now", is flat, making it impossible to see the scenery ahead. The two arched Taiko Bridges at the front and back represent the past and the future. In Shinto, water represents "purity" and "purification." You have to cross the water before you can set foot on the Holy Land. After passing through the spectacular double-story door, you officially enter the Gohonden. This is the final resting place of the respected scholar Sugawara Michizane, who is regarded as a god. The Gohonden building is majestic, with extremely steep eaves, colorful colors, and fine carvings, reflecting the gorgeous and vivid style of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. There is also the Tenmangu Shrine Treasure Hall, which contains nearly 50,000 historical relics and treasures and is worth visiting. Walking further inside, located on a small hill, is dedicated to the god who represents business prosperity and good luck-Tenkai Inari Shrine. At the end of winter, 6,000 plum blossoms bloom freely, exuding a delicate fragrance that permeates the entire shrine. Sugawara Michizane was very fond of plum blossoms and had many plum blossom-related stories. From the end of January to the beginning of March, he visited Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine to enjoy the plum blossoms in full bloom. It is one of the most beautiful spots for plum blossom appreciation in Japan.