Abandoned Sugizuka Temple
| Location | City of Chikushino |
|---|---|
| Designation | Municipally-Designated Historic Site |
| Emblem |  |
This ancient temple was built around the beginning of the Nara period, and the remains of its cornerstone building have been discovered. Covered in the same flat or cylindrical end-eave roof tiles as used in the Dazaifu Government Office or other area government buildings, the buildings in the outskirts of the city were also decorated using advanced roof tiles.
A Temple Standing Alongside the Ancient Official Road
These are the ruins of an ancient temple located in Sugizuka in the city of Chikushino. The existence of this place has been known since antiquity, and three foundation stones have been uncovered on a platform-shaped raised area. Six more foundation stones were discovered during excavations in 1979, and it is presumed that this platform-shaped area is the ruins of either the main hall or lecture hall of a temple. The layout of the temple grounds or its buildings is not well known. The eave tiles and demon tiles discovered here have the same patterns as tiles used in Dazaifu and Koro Hall, and it is believed to have existed from the end of the 7th century to the 9th century.
Chikushino City Characters/Tsukushi-chan
The official route (Mizuki West Gate Route) located on the east side of the abandoned Sugizuka Temple was travelled by many, including foreign envoys. People traveling this road would have caught glimpse of the now abandoned Sugizuka Temple and its advanced architectural style, covered in the same tiles as those used at Dazaifu Government Office. The tiles people would have seen in those days are on display at the Chikushino City Museum of History. Be sure to check them out.
Access Information
Address
818-0054 2-5-18 Sugizuka, Chikushino, Fukuoka
By Train
About 30 min on foot from JR Futsukaichi Station
By Car
About 6 min from the Chikushino IC on the Kyushu Expressway
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.