Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
| Location | City of Dazaifu |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Treasure（Writing）・national important cultural property（Building） |
| Emblem |  |
This site features a mausoleum for Sugawara no Michizane, who died in Dazaifu while serving as Provisional Governor of Dazaifu. It was also called Tenmangu Anraku-ji Temple. In the Heian period (794-1185), various events, including Kyokusui no En, that originated from the continent were held here, and some are still conducted today. Michizane was revered as a man of culture, and so many nobles and samurais visited the shrine. It became a sacred spot for literature, and linked verses have been dedicated to the shrine. A copy of a book published during the Tang Dynasty called “Kan-en”was transcribed during the Heian period, and is preserved here. (This is considered a national treasure.)During the Kamakura period (13 century), Koyu, an envoy from Goryeo, visited the shrine and dedicated a poem to it. The Main Shrine is designated as a nationally important cultural property. The shrine, in combination with the traditional events practiced here, allowvisitors to experience the atmosphere of an ancient era.
A Mecca of Art and Academics
Sugawara no Michizane, who excelled in arts and in academics, was promoted to Minister of the Right during the reign of Emperor Daigo, but due to the political maneuverings of Minister of the Left Fujiwara no Tokihira, he was demoted to Dazaifu and died in despair in 903. When Michizane’s remains were placed on an ox-driven cart for burial, the ox suddenly stopped moving; people, believing this to be his dying wish, buried him on the spot. In 905, a mausoleum was built atop his grave and Anraku-ji Temple was built to pray for his happiness in the next life. In 919, a shrine was built at the behest of Emperor Daigo, which has become the current Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. The current main shrine was rebuilt by Kobayakawa Takakage in 1591 on order from Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and now stands majestically beyond a two-storied gate. Feelings of remembrance and reverence toward Michizane, a peerless literary figure and scholar during his lifetime, have been passed down to posterity, and even today, this site brings worshippers as a Mecca of arts and academics.
Dazaifu City Characters/Tabito the Traveler, Otomo no Tabitto, Princess Reiwa
Renowned nationwide, this shrine is the center of tourism in Dazaifu.
While the area has much to recommend, the recent focus has been on contemporary art displayed throughout the temple grounds. International artists exhibit their works here. Some are based on the history of Dazaifu, some on profound spirituality, and all are thought-provoking.
This attempt is unique to Dazaifu Hachimangu Shrine, which has, over the course of its long history, accepted the old and the new to serve as a hub of culture in Dazaifu.
Access Information
Address
818-0117 4-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka 818-0117
By Train
About 5 min on foot from Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station
About the Western Capital
The “Western Capital”, created in Tsukushi 1300 years ago. Cultural assets speaking to the magnificence of this city of international exchange that flourished in East Asia are scattered across the cities of Chikushino, Kasuga, Onojo, Dazaifu, Nakagawa, and Umi in Fukuoka Prefecture as well as the town of Kiyama in Saga Prefecture.