Dazaifu-tenmangu Shrine

Really great temple and small town to wander around. Make sure to visit the small shops before heading into the temple, because if you came late, they’ll probably be closed by the time you finish wandering the temple. It’s not super crowded, which is good. There is a lot of things you can do in here which is really great! Highly recommended. Also very easy to access.

Went on my first solo trip and visited early in the morning — it was peaceful with very few people around. The weather in late May was perfect. If you have time, I recommend starting from Omotesando and taking a slow walk down. There are plenty of unique shops along the way that are worth checking out!

There were lots of lovely little shops in the street leading up to the shrine, we really enjoyed our walk around the whole area. The shrine was beautiful and filled with students wishing for blessing on their studies. The area also famous for their delicious red bean cake, must try! Great texture. You've also got to walk around the shrine for the beautiful old trees scenery.

Very peaceful and quiet with a big pond. I went early in the morning before anything was open, but also before any people got there. The main shrine was obviously closed at that time so I’m sure I missed out on a lot but it was very nice to take in the sight in peace and quiet 🥰

The temple complex isn’t one of the largest but it’s unique with the cow statues which is supposed to bring good luck and fulfil wishes at places where you rub them. There are 2 of them, one at the main entrance and another further inside. There are queues to rub them 🤣 there are 2 bridges to cross before reaching the main site. You will walk past small lakes and shady trees along the way. It’s quite tranquil if you minus the crowd. Maybe it’s better to visit late evening as daytime there is just one too many people. It’s a shinto temple not really a buddhist one. Its not as famous as the Kyoto ones but still worth a visit.

We visited Dazaifu Tenmangū as part of a Klook tour, so we only had under two hours to explore—definitely not enough time to fully take it in. The shrine is dedicated to Tenjin, the Shinto god of learning, so it’s a popular spot for students, and we saw quite a few on school trips. They also sell various omamori (charms), mostly related to education and academic success. The approach to the shrine is lined with shops and food stalls, but nothing really stood out. Many were selling hot red bean cakes, which were okay but not particularly memorable. One stall sold tamago mentaiko skewers for ¥500 a piece—honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it; it barely tasted like mentaiko. Overall, I was expecting something a bit more like Asakusa, but this was smaller in scale. That said, it was also much less crowded, which made the visit feel more relaxed—and that was something I really appreciated.

Dazaifu Tenmangu is a beautiful and historic shrine in Fukuoka, dedicated to the god of learning. The serene approach through a path lined with shops and the striking red arched bridge create a peaceful atmosphere. Visitors often write wishes on wooden plaques or buy lucky charms praying for academic success. The surrounding gardens, stunning architecture, beautiful scenery and the tranquil setting adds to the cultural experience. Overall, Dazaifu Tenmangu is a must-visit for history lovers, shrine enthusiasts, and those seeking a peaceful retreat near Fukuoka.

wonderful place! i prayed, bought an omamori (lucky charm), and enjoyed the scenery. it was very hot since I came during the day, but there was an ac filled room near the back to cool off which was nice! they also had a place to wash our hands with cold water, which i believe you are supposed to do before you pray. the omamori that i bought was around 1000 yen! once you walk a bit further, there is a whole street dedicated to food and shops! if you’re commuting by bus, i recommend checking time schedule as it gets extremely crowded. luckily i only waited around 15-20 minutes and was able to get on the first bus!

It's nice to see some historical structures! Since this place is filled with tourists, it's not the cleanest place yet you'll get to see many beautiful things around both gardens and the buildings! It's like Fukuoka version of Asakusa! Definitely come visit if you'd are around. Cheers

A shinto shrine that is great for exploring when in Fukuoka. Located in the city of Dazaifu you can check out the beautiful shrine, followed by a little food tour right outside. Dazaifu is best known for mentaiko and umegae mochi, and you can expect to find plenty of this right outside of the shrine. Umeagae mochi is rice cake mochi filled with a red bean paste. There were plenty of shops along the street that sold just this one item. The other item that is popular is mentaiko, and you can expect to find mentaiko everything here. I tried the mentako tamago, mentaiko siu mai, mentaiko rice cake, and mentaiko rice in broth which were all rich and delicious. Expect it to get busy and crowded on weekends as it's a tourist destination. Allocate about 2-2.5 hours here if you plan to visit.

Dazaifu Tenmangu has a long history. There are many places to see here. Please take a leisurely sightseeing while eating 梅枝餅 . The large museum is also within walking distance.

Beautiful historic area but amazingly crowded on Sundays, filled with tourists, school students and so many people. It was a little hard to enjoy the calm serenity of this shrine in the madness of the crowds so I would highly recommend going during a less crowded time. Did see a nice music performance on stage, alongside the stand selling lovely seasonal produce. Checked out the small museum but was disappointed after finishing it with three small rooms. The famous museum in further down the same path, beyond the iris pond. Lines just to say a prayer were lengthy as well as reaching the cleansing water. Would love to see this during autumn colors or when the irises are in bloom. Was a little surprised to find a children's amusement park behind such sacred grounds.

Dazaifu Tenman-gū is a Shinto shrine located in the same name city of Dazaifu. It is reasonably easy to get here. You take a Nishitetsu train in Tenjin (Fukuoka) with a transfer at Futsukaichi to get to Dazaifu Station. After exiting the station, walk through the main street to get to the shrine which is to your left at the end of the road. The shrine is beautiful and well taken care of. Though when I actually got here, I was a bit disappointed in its quaintness. It was not much different from any of the shrines that I have visited before. If you have visited Kyoto, then a visit here may seem like retread. Though I will say that I did not encounter any shrines comparable to this one in Kyushu, so it may be worth a visit for that reason. I think visiting Dazaifu will depend on your interest in visiting a Shinto shrine and willingness to travel off the beaten path. Dazaifu does make for a decent few hours/half day excursion.

Dazaifu Tenman-gu is a shinto shrine and It is built over the grave of Sugawara no Michizane. As Michizane was well known as a scholar, this shrine is also known as god of education. Many visit here to pray for passing exam or success in education. I came here in summer of 2008 and purchased a half dozen pencils as it says if I use this pencil, I will do good on test. After I purchased my pencils here, they sat in my desk drawer for 8 years. Finally I came to an occasion to use this pencil and I passed an license exam. This visit yesterday had sentimental meaning and I wanted to give thanks to Michizane for helping me pass the exam I took this year. I bought additional pencils during my visit yesterday and plan on giving to my friends currently studying. Transportation to here is either bus or subway. Very easy to find this place. They have a nice museum next to the shrine and I enjoyed their displays there as well. Shrine itself is small but doesn't lack plenty of opps for pictures. Some of the trees are so old, every interesting. They have a cow statue at the entrance of the shrine. It says Mizhizane was to rest here as a cow carrying his remains quit moving and they thought it was a god telling Michizane was to laid to rest here. If you are studying for an exam or certification, stop by here and fill out of one those wooden plate thing to pray to the god to help you the exam. Needless to say, you have to put your effort in studying but knowing someone else is also watching over you is sort of nice? if you are into such thing.

After we were finished seeing the Kyushu National Museum, we headed along to visit Dazaifu Tenmangu temple. The shrine is dedicated to an ancient scholar Sugawara no Michizane. Students offering prayers to the shrine would supposed receive good grades. Entering the main shrine, there is a water pool for visitors to wash their hands and mouth to cleanse themselves before entering. It is a beautiful shine, adorned with small shops that sell offerings for prayers. We did bought some offerings; notes written in Kanji that was tied on stings that were around the Temple. We then walked around the backside of the Temple and discovered more gardens and more restaurants. Unique only to Dazaifu is Umegaemochi; a read bean snack stamped with a apricot flower on the outside. We settled in one of the restaurants behind the temple and had some Umegaemochi with tea. It was truly a surreal experience as we took out shoes off and sat cross legged as we relax on a cold, balmy afternoon. We also went ahead and bought some gifts and toys for my kids. Boy, my daughter was so delighted seeing all those toys she could only hope for from YouTube! It was just unfortunate that it was too late that we realized there were much more shops along the main ally way leading the the temple entrance. More Umegaemochi, Takoyaki, more food, sigh* =( Anyhow, it was a great experience visiting Dazaifu Tenmangu.

Dazaifu Tenmangu 太宰府天満宮 is a good option as a half day side trip when you are in Fukuoka area. Easily access by taking Nishitetsu train from Tenjin. Love the ground with interesting buildings scattered around. A lot of photo worthy scene for professional and novice photographers alike, Even on a rainy day, there were a lot of student groups here on field trip to understand their own cultural heritage and history of Japan. And of course asking for blessing so they will do good in their studies and examination. Dazaifu Tenmangu might not be as spectacular as some other National Treasures of Japan in other Prefectures but worth a visit if you are in the area.