Japan 2019: Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Fukuoka
We went straight to Dazaifu after a morning til noon touring in Nagasaki. There wasn't a straight JR train going to the temple so we had to transfer line in Murasaki going to Dazaifu station.
How to Claim and Use JR Pass in Fukuoka, Japan link: here.
Trains and buses in Japan seemed complicated at first but you'll get a hang of it. There are a lot of train routes coming from all directions that it gets confusing especially coming from a place where there are only three train routes so far. Looking forward to a better transportation system in Manila!!!
Outside the train station, you'll be passing through this alley with lots of souvenir and snack shops. There's also one distinct Starbucks branch that can be found here.
Woodworks of Starbucks Dazaifu link: here.
Woodworks of Starbucks Dazaifu link: here.
Before reaching the shrine, you'll first pass through a pond/ garden which was very relaxing to walk around in. There were a lot of people in the shrine but I barely noticed that while walking in the park. I read somewhere that passing through the bridge (over the lake) is a process of purifying your soul and body before going near the shrine/ meeting the deity of the shrine.
There were a lot of plum trees in this area but they still haven't bloomed.
Approaching the shrine.
It's a huge place but it's very easy to find the shrine; just follow the crowd and you'll get there in no time.
It's a huge place but it's very easy to find the shrine; just follow the crowd and you'll get there in no time.
Again, rinse your mouth and wash your hands before going near the Shrine.
We haven't seen any cherry blossom yet when we toured around Dazaifu so seeing plum blossoms was enough to excite us. haha!
The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane who is known as the god of learning. One of the reasons why this is always busy is because students visit here to pray for the success in their studies.
We also got one of these but google translate was of no help so we left ours in the shrine without understanding what was written.
There was one shrine in Hakata Old City though that has English Omikuji/ Fortune Paper. You are supposed to leave the paper tied at the shrine if you got a bad luck but I was able to take home mine since it said that I am lucky - it has been in my wallet since then.
Make sure to go around the shrine and look at the century old trees. There are 167 varieties of plum blossoms in the whole shrine which is about 6,000 trees. With that much trees, magine going there during the peak of the plum blossom season.
We could count the trees that has flowers that time but here's more plum blossom. <3
0 comments