Name: 太宰府天満宮 - Dazaifu Tenman-gū
Enshrined Deity: Tenjin
Address: 4-7-1, Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture 818-0195
Size: 350,000 Square Meters - 86.5 acres
Enshrined Deity: Tenjin
Address: 4-7-1, Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture 818-0195
Size: 350,000 Square Meters - 86.5 acres
History
The deity of Dazaifu Tenman-gu is Tenjin, the deified name of the real life scholar Sugawara no Michizane. Michizane was a government official during the Heian period. He rose to the prominent position of Minister of the Right, an action which inspired much envy and bitterness in his rivals. So, in 900 BCE, the powerful Fujiwara family unleashed a devious scheme against him and he was subsequently demoted and exiled to Kyushu. Upon departing Kyoto, he composed this poem:
東風吹かば にほひをこせよ梅花 主なしとて 春を忘るな | Should the east winds blow, carry me the fragrance of plum blossom; And though your lord is gone, never forget the springtime. |
He died very shortly after in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka in 903. Immediately after this, the capital city Kyoto was struck with various natural disasters and many people died, including various important leaders in the Fujiwara clan. It was determined that this was the curse of Michizane who had been so foully treated. So, the emperor restored Michizane's title and rescinded his banishment. A large shrine was also built in his honor in Kitano and Michizane became the deity Tenjin. Due to his spectacular curse set upon the Fujiwara clan, he was worshiped as a god of natural disasters.
When Michizane died, his body was carried by his follower Umasake no Yasuyuki in an oxcart. Legend says that when they reached Saifu, the ox suddenly stopped and refused to move any further. So Yasuyuki had to bury his body on the spot. Yasuyuki built the first Dazaifu Tenman-gu shrine on his grave three years later in 909. The original structure was small, but in 919, the Fujiwari clan rebuilt it into a massive 86 acre shrine compound that is now one of the three great shrines for Tenjin. (Note: any shrine named Tenman-gu is a shrine dedicated to Tenjin.)
These shrines are also famous for having plum trees on shrine grounds. That is because Michizane was particularly fond of the plum tree. At age 5, he composed this waka poem:
When Michizane died, his body was carried by his follower Umasake no Yasuyuki in an oxcart. Legend says that when they reached Saifu, the ox suddenly stopped and refused to move any further. So Yasuyuki had to bury his body on the spot. Yasuyuki built the first Dazaifu Tenman-gu shrine on his grave three years later in 909. The original structure was small, but in 919, the Fujiwari clan rebuilt it into a massive 86 acre shrine compound that is now one of the three great shrines for Tenjin. (Note: any shrine named Tenman-gu is a shrine dedicated to Tenjin.)
These shrines are also famous for having plum trees on shrine grounds. That is because Michizane was particularly fond of the plum tree. At age 5, he composed this waka poem:
美しや 紅の色なる梅の花 あこが顔にも つけたくぞある | How beautiful the red plum blossom I wish to color my cheek with it. |
So his shrines honor that memory by planting plum trees. One legend has it that when Michizane died, a plum tree from Kyoto uprooted and flew on the wind to take root where his body was buried in Dazaifu. They say this plum tree is the first to bloom in all of Japan. That tree, called Tobiume, is now located right in the center of the main shrine.
Over time, Tenjin shifted from being seen as a god of natural disasters to a god of scholarship and learning. Michizane was known as a great scholar and poet in his time. So now it's very common for students or other modern scholars to make a pilgrimage to a Tenjin shrine to pray for success in their studies.
Over time, Tenjin shifted from being seen as a god of natural disasters to a god of scholarship and learning. Michizane was known as a great scholar and poet in his time. So now it's very common for students or other modern scholars to make a pilgrimage to a Tenjin shrine to pray for success in their studies.
Shrine Grounds
Across Japan, there are over 10,000 Tenman-gu shrines. Daizaifu Tenman-gu is the first and most important of them all. The original shrine built in 919 was destroyed during a civil war, and the current complex was rebuilt in 1591. It is a large, sprawling shrine complex. It is famous for the approximately 6,000 plum trees sprinkled throughout the area. In addition, there are many large kusunoki (camphor) tress, with one large tree estimated to be over 1,000 years old. Tenman-gu shrines often will have statues of ox to represent the ox that carried Michizane after his death. Of course, Dazaifu Tenman-gu is no exception. They say it's good luck to rub the ox's head or horns. Once you enter from the front gate, you have to cross over two beautiful bridges to enter the main shrine. These arched bridges symbolize crossing from the past, to the present, then to the future. The pond that flows below the bridges was built in the shape of the kanji for heart (心). |
The shrine grounds are also home to various small shops where you can stop and get some food or hot tea. One of the famous foods of the shrine and surrounding area is umegae mochi (ヶ枝餅), a grilled rice cake with red bean filling. The top is stamped with a plum blossom due to their obvious association with Michizane. These were said to be a favored snack of Michizane himself. Though of course they didn't add the plum blossom stamp until after his death. The local shops also sell various other plum flavored goodies for you to spend all your money on.
My Journey
I visited Dazaifu Tenman-gu on December 10th, 2016 with one of my friends. I absolutely loved it there and cannot wait to go back soon to see the plum trees! So enjoy my pictures! You'll notice that it was still autumn in Kyushu, so we still had some lovely fall foliage.
Here's a video of an umegae mochi making machine that I saw outside the shrine.