Fukuoka
・Mysterious sight that can only be seen twice a year
・The head shrine of the three Munakata goddesses
【City description】
There are many tourist spots in Fukuoka prefecture, but we will introduce three famous spots that you can visit on a day trip from Fukuoka city : Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Munakata Taisha Shrine and Miyajidake Shrine. Many of these places have a long history, so we recommend visiting them the day after you finish sightseeing in Fukuoka city.
Click here for a sample itinerary for Fukuoka city and Hakata.
【Overall rating】
★★★★★
【Time required】
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine：2 h 30
Munakata Taisha Shrine and Miyajidake Shrine：4 h
【Budget】
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine：1400 yen
Munakata Taisha Shrine and Miyajidake Shrine：2920 yen
【Fatigue】
★★★★☆
- Itinerary Map for Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
- Access to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
- ①Dazaifu Station
- Enjoy the approach to the shrine
- ②Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
- Itinerary Map for Munakata Taisha Shrine and Miyajidake Shrine
- ①Tōgō Station
- ②Munakata Shrine
- ③Miyajidake Shrine
- ④Fukuma Station
- More Travel Information in Japan
Itinerary Map for Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Navigation
【Start】①Dazaifu Station
★Route time required：10 min
Go out from the station and turn right to enter the approach to the shrine. Continue straight and you will arrive at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.
★Route time required：10 min
Return back the way you came and head back to the station.
Dazaifu Station
Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
Access to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
By train
Time required : 40 min
Admission fee：630 yen
Take the subway Kuko Line bound for Meihama from Hakata Station and transfer to Nishitetsu Fukuoka Tenjin Station at Tenjin Station. It takes about 10 minutes to travel underground. From Nishitetsu Fukuoka Tenjin Station, take the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line and get off at the last stop, Dazaifu Station. There is a turnaround at Futsukaichi Station, but you do not need to get off.
By bus
Time required : 40 min
Admission fee：700 yen
If you take the bus from bus stop 11 on the first floor of the Hakata Station bus terminal, you can go directly to Dazaifu Station.
For more information such as timetables, please click here.
Official Site
https://www.nishitetsu.jp/en/sightseeing/#dazaifu
①Dazaifu Station
★Route time required：10 min
Go out from the station and turn right to enter the approach to the shrine. Continue straight and you will arrive at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine.
Enjoy the approach to the shrine
There are about 90 shops lined up along the 400m approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. There are souvenir shops and places to eat Fukuoka specialties. In particular, the famous Umegae Mochi and the Starbucks Coffee with its distinctive exterior designed by architect Kengo Kuma are must-sees.
②Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Time required : 1 h
Admission fee：0 yen
Opening hour：6 am – 7 pm
(from 6h30 am 9/23 – 3/21, until 7h30 pm from June to August, until 6 pm from December to March)
Close：No
This temple was built on the grave of Sugawara no Michizane, the famous god of learning, and is the head temple of the approximately 1,200 Tenmangu shrines across the country. It is so popular that it attracts approximately 8.5 million visitors per year, and over 2 million people visit during the New Year alone.
Sugawara no Michizane died just two years after being demoted to Dazaifu for a crime he did not commit. When the cow carrying his body was about to be buried, it stopped at the gate of Anrakuji Temple. Feeling that Michizane had said that this was the place to be, a mausoleum (tomb) was built here. However, after that, epidemics and abnormal weather occurred in the capital, and it was decided to build a new shrine here to worship Michizane, but the disasters did not subside, and one emperor, two crown princes, and one minister died within 30 years. So the name Tenmangu, which is originally used to worship emperors and members of the imperial family, was given to it. Since then, fears of his curse have lessened, and his status as an outstanding scholar has been highlighted, leading to him being worshipped as the god of learning.
The main shrine is currently undergoing renovation, so he is enshrined in a temporary shrine, the construction of which is being handled by Sou Fujimoto, who was also involved in the design of the 2025 Osaka Expo venue.
Main highlights
The vast 12k㎡ site also features the following attractions:
Taiko Bridge :
Three bridges over the pond, each representing the character for heart, which means heart. Each bridge represents the past, present, and future. It is said that crossing them will exorcise the evil thoughts of the three time periods.
Tobiume :
Plum trees were important to Sugawara no Michizane and were used as his divine crest. The most famous Tobiume is said to have flown from Kyoto to Michizane when he was demoted to Dazaifu. You can see it to the right of the main hall, and there are about 6,000 plum trees of about 200 varieties in the grounds.
Tower Gate :
A vermilion-painted gate leading to the main hall, it has a double roof when entering and a single roof when exiting. The current gate was rebuilt by Ishida Mitsunari.
Treasure Hall :
A museum with a collection of about 10,000 swords and stories related to Michizane. In addition to the exhibits, the museum also introduces the origins of Tenmangu Shrine. The Kan’en, a 10th century dictionary that is a national treasure, is a must-see.
Sacred Cows :
As Michizane was born in the Year of the Ox, there are 11 statues of cows in the precincts that are considered messengers of the gods. It is said that stroking the heads of these statues will grant you wisdom.
Another famous shrine that enshrines Sugawara no Michizane as the god of learning is Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto.
Itinerary Map for Munakata Taisha Shrine and Miyajidake Shrine
Navigation
【Start】Hakata Station
★Route time required：30 min
From Hakata Station, take the JR Kagoshima Main Line bound for Mojiko and get off at Tōgō Station (fare: 570 yen).
★Route time required：15 min
Take bus number 1 or 1-2 from the bus terminal in front of Togo Station, get off at the bus stop: Munakata Taisha, and follow the road to the immediate left to arrive at Munakata Taisha (fare: 260 yen).
★Route time required：40 min
From the same bus stop, take the 1-2 bus bound for Koyodai 6-chome and get off in front of the Fire Department Hall (fare: 600 yen). Continue straight in the opposite direction to the bus and you will come to the stairs leading to the shrine at the end of the road.
★Route time required：10 min
After leaving the shrine, turn left at the first intersection and you will see the Miyajidake Jinjamae bus stop. Get on platform 1-1 here and get off at JR Fukuma Station (fare: 210 yen).
★Route time required：40 min
From here, take the train back to Hakata Station (40 minutes, 480 yen).
Hakata Station
Hakata Station
★Route time required：30 min
From Hakata Station, take the JR Kagoshima Main Line bound for Mojiko and get off at Tōgō Station (fare: 570 yen).
①Tōgō Station
★Route time required：15 min
Take bus number 1 or 1-2 from the bus terminal in front of Togo Station, get off at the bus stop: Munakata Taisha, and follow the road to the immediate left to arrive at Munakata Taisha (fare: 260 yen).
②Munakata Shrine
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：0 yen
Opening hour：6 am – 5 pm
Close：No
It is one of the oldest shrines in Japan that appears in Japanese mythology, and is the head temple of the approximately 7,000 shrines across the country that worship the Three Munakata Goddesses.
At the head shrine, each god is enshrined in a different location as follows.
| Name | Location | Goddess worshipped |
| Hetsumiya | Munakata City | Ichikishimahime |
| Nakatsumiya | Oshima | Tagitsuhime |
| Okitsumiya | Okinoshima | Tagorihime |
These three are collectively known as Munakata Taisha, and since Nakatsumiya and Okitsumiya are on islands, I will introduce Hetsumiya here. Nakatsumiya on Oshima can be reached by ferry, but access to Okinoshima is prohibited and the entire island is considered a sacred object. These three are in a straight line and are registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is said that the Three Munakata Goddesses were born when Amaterasu Omikami bit into her brother Susanoo’s sword and blew on it while they were fighting. They then descended to this land while traveling north at Amaterasu’s command. The Three Munakata Goddesses are known as goddesses of maritime safety, so they are often enshrined at places associated with the sea, such as Enoshima Shrine.
Click here to learn more about Enoshima Shrine and another city.
Additionally, the Munakata clan, who are in charge of the shrine, once interacted with overseas countries together with the Imperial Court, and had connections with successors, such as sending their daughter to become the empress of the emperor. Due to these factors, Munakata Taisha Shrine plays a part in Shingun, an area of only eight shrines of national importance in Japan.
Main highlights
From here, I will introduce the highlights of Hetsumiya.
Main Hall :
Registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, it was modeled after the main hall of Nakatsumiya Shrine on Oshima. The current one was rebuilt in 1578 by Munakata Ujisada, a feudal lord during the Warring States period.
Subsidiary Shrines :
There are 24 shrines surrounding the main hall, and 75 of them were built by the third feudal lord Kuroda Mitsuyuki. 121 gods are enshrined here.
Second and Third Shrines :
The other three goddesses are enshrined in these two shrines behind the main hall. The second shrine enshrines Tagomihime of Okitsumiya, and the third shrine enshrines Tatsutsuhime of Nakatsumiya, so by visiting these shrines you have visited all three shrines. The shrine building is based on that of Ise Grand Shrine.
Takamiya Shrine :
This is the place where Ichikishimahime is said to have descended, and there is no shrine building, only the foundations. Munakata Taisha Shrine holds its autumn festival every year from October 1st to 3rd, and here, on the final day of October 3rd, they perform the Yukyu-mai dance as a night kagura. During this festival, the Miare Festival, in which the portable shrines of the goddesses of Okitsu-miya and Nakatsu-miya are carried on boats and assembled at Hetsu-miya, is famous for the parade of over 100 boats carrying large fishing flags.
Shinpokan :
Admission fee：800 yen
Opening hours: 9 am – 4h30 pm
This is a facility where you can see the treasures of Munakata Taisha Shrine. In the 4th to 9th centuries, national rituals were held on Okinoshima Island, where messengers from the emperor would perform festivals on the island, and all of the approximately 80,000 items found there have been designated national treasures. You can see them at the Shinpokan. For this reason, Okinoshima Island is also called the Shosoin of the Sea.
★Route time required：40 min
From the same bus stop, take the 1-2 bus bound for Koyodai 6-chome and get off in front of the Fire Department Hall (fare: 600 yen). Continue straight in the opposite direction to the bus and you will come to the stairs leading to the shrine at the end of the road.
③Miyajidake Shrine
Time required : 1 h
Admission fee：0 yen
Opening hour：24 hours
Close：No
This shrine enshrines Okinagatarashihime-no-mikoto as its main deity. She is also known as Empress Jingu, the wife of Emperor Chuai and the mother of Emperor Ojin. In the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, it is said that when she set sail for Korea, she looked out to sea from the summit of Mount Miyajidake, enshrined Tenjinjigami on an altar, and prayed before setting sail. She is known as a god of good fortune who overcomes all obstacles. She is enshrined as one of the three great gods of Miyajidake, along with Katsumura-no-Okami and Katsuyori-no-Okami, the leaders of the Azumi tribe.
Path of Light
The main attraction is the approach to the shrine that stretches straight out from the sea, and in the evenings of late February and late October, the setting sun shines onto the approach, creating a path of light. The period lasts from 7 to 10 days, but there is not one day when the sun can fit perfectly on the approach, so it can only be seen twice a year, in February and October. In conjunction with this, paid seating (5,000 yen) is set up on Otokozaka, where the stairs at the entrance are located. Reservations can only be made by phone. Numbered tickets for free seats are also distributed from 2 pm.
Three No. 1s in Japan
Miyajidake Shrine has three number one shrines in Japan.
①Large Shimenawa
The shimenawa rope at the main shrine is the largest in Japan, measuring 11m in length, 2.6m in diameter, and weighing 3t. What’s more, it is replaced every year using rice straw.
②Large drum
The drum is 2.2m in diameter, which is not the largest in Japan. However, all the materials are sourced from Japan, and the drum surface is made of Japanese cowhide. It is struck at midnight on January 1st every year.
③Large bell
The copper bell weighing 450kg is also the largest in Japan. It was donated by a devout believer and used to be placed together with the large shimenawa rope, but because it is so heavy, it is now placed in its current location.
Okunomiya Hachisha
Behind the main hall are eight shrines known as Okunomiya Hachisha. Each one enshrines a different god, and it is said that if you visit them all, your wishes will come true. The shrine was established when Fudo Myo-o Shrine was founded following the excavation of one of Japan’s largest stone chamber tombs. The tomb was built at the end of the 6th century and is a stone chamber measuring 23m in length, 5m in width, and 5m in height. Approximately 300 items have been excavated from inside, including horse equipment, lapis lazuli jars, and gold crowns, 20 of which are designated national treasures.
The eight shrines are as follows:
① Shichifuku Shrine : Seven Gods of Fortune who bring good fortune
② Inari Shrine : God who protects food and rice harvests
③ Fudo Shrine : God who removes disasters and misfortunes
④ Manjizo : Guardian of children
⑤ Koi no Miya : God who protects women’s minds and bodies
⑥ Sanbo Kojin : God of hearths and fire protection
⑦ Mizujin : Dragon god whose water flows continuously
⑧ Yakushi Shrine : God who saves from all kinds of illnesses and hardships
★Route time required：10 min
After leaving the shrine, turn left at the first intersection and you will see the Miyajidake Jinjamae bus stop. Get on platform 1-1 here and get off at JR Fukuma Station (fare: 210 yen).
④Fukuma Station
From here, take the train back to Hakata Station (40 minutes, 480 yen).
【Goal】
Hakata Station
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