Hannya-ji Temple Ruins
| Location | City of Dazaifu |
|---|---|
| Designation | Municipally-Designated Historic Site・national important cultural property（Building） |
| Emblem |  |
This ancient temple is thought to have been built by Soga no Himuka, the Governor of Tsukushi-Dazaifu, in the hope that it would help Emperor Kotoku recover from an illness in 654.. It was moved to inside the Dazaifu Jobo during the Nara period. In that era, the only temples inside the Jobo were Kanzeon-ji Temple, Hannya-ji Temple which were connected to the Emperor. A foundation mound and a foundation stone for a central pillar of a pagoda have been discovered here. There is still a seven-storied stone pagoda here that was built during the Kamakura period (national important cultural property).
A Temple Built Atop High Ground
The ruins of Hannya-ji Temple are located about 1 km south of the Dazaifu Government Office. Located on a hill roughly 50 meters in altitude, the place name “Hannya-ji” still remains, and excavations thus far have discovered foundation stones of a pagoda, cornerstones, building structures, and ditches. The foundation of the pagodas was 11.9 meters on each side, with tiles piled up along the rim. The tiles excavated are the same as those used in the Dazaifu Government Office in the 8th century, in the Koro Hall style or the Roji style. On the east side of the temple area is a seven-storied stone pagoda (3.35 meters high), built in the 13th century. The area is now residential and only the remains of the pagoda and the seven-storied pagoda remain, but this majestic temple built on a hill was once a symbol of the “Western Capital” and its advanced culture.
Dazaifu City Characters/Tabito the Traveler, Otomo no Tabitto, Princess Reiwa
The top of the hill on the right side of the path from Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station to the Guesthouse Site is the precincts of the former Hannya-ji Temple.
The top of the hill has become a residential area with few features that tell of its past as a temple, but the scenery glimpsed here shows that this area overlooks the entire city of Dazaifu, suggesting that it was an important place.
Access Information
Address
818-0103 2-18-1 Suzaku, Dazaifu, Fukuoka
By Train
About 5 min on foot from Nishitetsu Futsukaichi 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.