Suita Hot Springs (Futsukaichi Hot Springs)
| Location | City of Chikushino |
|---|---|
| Designation | Undesignated |
| Emblem |  |
Suita Hot Springs appears in the Man'yoshu in a poem written by Dazaifu Governor-general Otomo no Tabito composed on the sorrow of losing his wife in Dazaifu and hearing a crane cry out in “Yunohara”, the name of small section of town.
In “Songs to Make the Dust Dance on the Beams” written at the end of the Heian Period, it states that high officials from Dazaifu, monks from Kanzeon-ji, Anraku-ji and Shio-ji Temples, samurai and cooks of Dazaifu, and those from Buzo-ji Temple would bathe here in that order, and that it not only healed exhaustion but served as a hub of exchange between officials and monks who bathed together in these springs.
An Ancient Hot Springs Passed Down Over Generations To This Day
Suita Hot Springs is the present-day Futsukaichi Hot Springs. The surface water at Futsukaichi Hot Springs is heated through the radioactive decay of uranium contained in underground granite. Legend has it that Princess Ruriko, daughter of a person involved in the construction of this temple named Fujiwara no Toramaro, cured her disease at Buzo-ji Temple near these hot springs, which serves as the origin story of these hot springs. The hot springs are located in the ancient village of Suita, and to this name place names like “Suita”, “Yunohara”, and “Yu-no-omichi” remain. Pottery with the inscription “Suita” has also been excavated at ruins within the city of Chikushino (see photo). Yunohara also appears in the Man'yoshu, along with a poem composed at Suita Hot Springs by Dazaifu Governor-general Otomo no Tabito. Suita Hot Springs is a place of healing and exchange once visited by ancient officials, and even today, over a thousand years later, these springs have remained in continuous use.
Chikushino City Characters/Tsukushi-chan
These hot springs were visited as a resort by Dazaifu officials in antiquity and by lords of the Kuroda Clan in the early modern era.
Even today the area is called the inner parlor of Hakata, with hot springs where you can stay the night or simply drop in for a bath. In the vicinity are the Medicine Buddha and Buzo-ji Temple, both of which are associated with the origin story of these hot springs. Soothe your body and mind at Suita Hot Springs (Futsukaichi Hot Springs).
Access Information
Address
818-0058 1-14 Yumachi, Chikushino, Fukuoka
By Train
About 10 min on foot from JR Futsukaichi Station
By Car
About 5 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.