Fukuoka Prefecture · City
Dazaifu
太宰府市だざいふしDazaifu-shiThe ancient 'distant capital' of the west
Dazaifu is a small city south-east of Fukuoka that was the seat of the Dazaifu, the ancient government headquarters for Kyushu and Japan's foreign relations. Today it is best known for Dazaifu Tenmangū, the shrine of the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, and the Kyushu National Museum.
Overview
Dazaifu takes its name from the government headquarters established here in the late 7th century to administer the nine provinces of Kyushu and the islands, to receive foreign embassies and to defend the western frontier. Contemporaries called it the 'distant court' (tōno mikado): with its grid of streets, provincial temples and official residences it was the largest administrative centre outside the capital. The historic name is written 大宰府, while the modern city writes 太宰府.
The city's fame today rests on Dazaifu Tenmangū, built over the grave of Sugawara no Michizane, the Heian statesman and scholar who died here in exile in 903 and came to be worshipped as Tenjin, deity of learning. Students from all over Japan come to pray for success in examinations, and the shopping street leading to the shrine is lined with shops selling umegae mochi.
Around the shrine lie the excavated foundation stones of the government office, the temple Kanzeon-ji with the oldest known temple bell in Japan, the Kaidan-in ordination hall, earthworks and mountain fortresses from the 660s and, on the hill behind the shrine, the Kyushu National Museum with its focus on Japan's exchanges with Asia.
Landmarks
Dazaifu Tenmangū
太宰府天満宮Dazaifu TenmangūThe head shrine of Tenjin worship in Kyushu, over Michizane's grave; its Momoyama-period main hall, arched bridges over the Shinji pond and the 'flying plum' tree (tobiume) are its best-known features.
Kyushu National Museum
九州国立博物館Kyūshū Kokuritsu HakubutsukanA national museum devoted to the formation of Japanese culture through contact with Asia, housed in a large wave-roofed building linked to the shrine by a tunnel.
Dazaifu Government Office ruins
大宰府政庁跡Dazaifu Seichō atoFoundation stones of the central compound laid out in an open field, a special historic site.
Kanzeon-ji
観世音寺Kanzeon-jiA temple vowed by Emperor Tenji, with a bronze bell regarded as the oldest in Japan (a National Treasure) and a treasure hall of monumental Heian statues.
Kaidan-in
戒壇院Kaidan-inOne of the three official ordination platforms of ancient Japan, alongside Tōdai-ji in Nara and Yakushi-ji in Shimotsuke.
Kōmyōzen-ji
光明禅寺Kōmyōzen-jiA small Zen temple near Tenmangū with a moss-and-gravel garden, especially admired in autumn.
Mizuki earthwork
水城跡Mizuki atoA 7th-century defensive embankment over a kilometre long, crossing the plain towards Fukuoka; a special historic site.
Sakamoto Hachimangū
坂本八幡宮Sakamoto HachimangūA small shrine near the government ruins, associated with the residence of Ōtomo no Tabito and the Reiwa era name.
Districts
Tenmangū approach
太宰府天満宮参道Dazaifu Tenmangū sandōThe shop-lined street from Dazaifu Station to the shrine, known for umegae mochi and a café by the architect Kengo Kuma.
Kanzeon-ji and Kaidan-in area
A quiet area of temples, fields and ruins west of the shrine, with the government office site nearby.
Shiōji-yama
四王寺山Shiōji-yamaThe hill north of the city with the ramparts of Ōno Castle and walking trails.
History
After the defeat of the Yamato and Baekje forces by Tang and Silla at the Battle of Hakusukinoe in 663, the court fortified northern Kyushu against invasion: the Mizuki earthwork and the Korean-style mountain castles of Ōno and Kii were built around the plain where the Dazaifu government took shape. Under the ritsuryō system the Dazaifu governed all of Kyushu, and its officials included the poet Ōtomo no Tabito, host of the plum-blossom banquet of 730 recorded in the Man'yōshū.
In 901 Sugawara no Michizane was demoted to a nominal post here after court intrigue and died two years later; the shrine over his grave grew into one of the most important Tenjin shrines in Japan. The government's role faded in the medieval period, and Dazaifu became a shrine town. It was raised to city status in 1982, and the Kyushu National Museum opened in 2005.
664–665
The Mizuki earthwork and Ōno Castle are built to protect the plain after the defeat at Hakusukinoe.
late 7th c.
The Dazaifu government headquarters is established.
730
Ōtomo no Tabito hosts the plum-blossom banquet whose Man'yōshū preface later gives its name to the Reiwa era.
901
Sugawara no Michizane is sent to Dazaifu in effective exile.
903
Michizane dies in Dazaifu; a shrine is soon founded over his grave.
1591
The main hall of Tenmangū is rebuilt under Kobayakawa Takakage.
1982
Dazaifu becomes a city.
2005
The Kyushu National Museum opens as Japan's fourth national museum.
Culture
Dazaifu's culture revolves around the cult of Tenjin as patron of learning. From January to early March the shrine is thronged with students and parents praying before entrance examinations, and ema votive tablets pile up in the precincts. The shrine's plum trees, around six thousand of them, bloom from late January into March. Ritual events preserve court culture of the Heian period, such as the poetry party by a winding stream, while the old temples and ruins make the city a centre of archaeology and the study of Japan's ancient ties with the continent.
Festivals
Onisube
鬼すべOnisubeA fire ritual on the night of 7 January in which smoke drives out a demon from a wooden hall; one of the largest fire festivals in Japan.
Usokae
鷽替えUsokaeOn 7 January visitors exchange carved wooden bullfinches, turning the lies of the old year into good fortune.
Kyokusui no En
曲水の宴Kyokusui no EnA Heian-style poetry gathering on the first Sunday of March, in which courtiers compose verses as sake cups float past on a stream.
Jinkōshiki
神幸式大祭Jinkōshiki TaisaiThe shrine's major autumn festival in September, with a night procession of the deity's palanquin.
Food
Umegae mochi
梅ヶ枝餅umegae mochiGrilled rice cakes filled with sweet bean paste and stamped with a plum blossom; legend links them to a woman who fed the exiled Michizane.
Plum products
梅umePlums are the emblem of the shrine and appear in pickles, sweets and drinks.
Getting around
- Nishitetsu trains run from Tenjin in Fukuoka, changing at Nishitetsu-Futsukaichi for the short branch line to Dazaifu Station; the journey takes about half an hour.
- Direct buses link Hakata Station and Fukuoka Airport with Dazaifu.
- JR Futsukaichi Station on the Kagoshima Main Line is a bus or taxi ride from the centre.
- The shrine, museum and main temples are within walking distance; bicycles are useful for the government ruins and Mizuki.
Day trips
Hakata's temples, Tenjin's shops and the yatai stalls, half an hour away.
Futsukaichi Onsen
An ancient hot-spring town in neighbouring Chikushino.
Kurume
Birthplace of tonkotsu ramen and centre of Kurume kasuri weaving, south along the Nishitetsu line.
Yanagawa
Canal town reached on the same Nishitetsu line; often combined with Dazaifu on one ticket.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Why do students visit Dazaifu Tenmangū?
The shrine enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, deified as Tenjin, the patron of scholarship; students pray there for success in entrance examinations.
Why is Dazaifu written with two different characters?
The ancient government office is written 大宰府, while the modern city and the shrine use 太宰府. Both are read Dazaifu.
What does Dazaifu have to do with the Reiwa era?
The era name Reiwa (from 2019) was taken from the preface to poems written at a plum-blossom banquet held in 730 at the Dazaifu residence of Ōtomo no Tabito.
How long does a visit take?
Half a day covers the shrine, the approach and the Kyushu National Museum; a full day allows the government ruins, Kanzeon-ji and Mizuki as well.
When do the plum trees bloom?
Usually from late January to early March, earliest with the sacred tobiume tree in front of the main hall.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 人口等基本集計 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局
- 2.太宰府市公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 太宰府市
- 3.太宰府天満宮 (opens in a new tab) — 太宰府天満宮
- 4.九州国立博物館 (opens in a new tab) — 九州国立博物館