Dazaifu-shi Travel Guide

Dazaifu is a scholastic holy area in Dazaifu, Fukuoka, centred on Dazaifu Tenmangu, dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning, a place of students' prayers since old times. Nearby are the Kyushu National Museum, medieval ruins and plum groves — a famed Fukuoka-suburb site of faith, history and culture.

Dazaifu Tenmangu honours Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, and with Kyoto's Kitano and Osaka's Sugawara Tenmangu is one of Japan's three great Tenjin shrines, the top choice for students and examinees praying for success. The approach is lined with plum trees, a bronze ox and craft shops, leading to the main shrine behind which Michizane is enshrined; the flying plum (tobi-ume) is said to have flown here from Kyoto in a single night, a miracle of devotion. Fresh green in spring, plum blossoms in winter and autumn leaves make it a cultured, serene retreat near Fukuoka.