Dazaifu Tenmangu

Sugawara no Michizane was a scholar and official exiled from the capital to Dazaifu, where he died in 903; a series of disasters in Kyoto afterwards was read as his spirit's doing, and he was enshrined as Tenjin, the deity of learning. The shrine stands over his grave, and its business now is examinations - wooden plaques are hung here in great numbers by students asking to pass, and the approach is lined with shops selling umegae-mochi, a grilled rice cake with red bean. Six thousand plum trees fill the grounds, Michizane's tree by association, flowering in late February; one beside the main hall is called the flying plum, said to have followed him from Kyoto. The main hall reopened in May 2026 after a restoration of about three years, during which the deity was housed in a temporary shrine by Sou Fujimoto, with a small forest growing on its roof.

The main sights

• A scholar's grave - the shrine built over Michizane, enshrined as the deity of learning.
• Exam plaques - hung in great numbers by students.
• Six thousand plums - flowering in late February, including the flying plum.
• The restored main hall - back in use since May 2026 after about three years of work.

When to go

Late February for plum blossom. Half a day.

What to expect

Exam season in winter brings very large crowds. The approach street is heavily commercial. The Kyushu National Museum next door is a separate long visit.

Nearby

The Kyushu National Museum is behind the shrine; Fukuoka is north-west.

Key facts