April 26, 2010
Dazaifu 太宰府
While in Fukuoka, my mum and I also took a day-trip to Dazaifu (太宰府) which is famous for the Tenman-gu Shrine. People like to go to this shrine to pray for academic success as it enshrines Sugawara Michizane (845-903), the god of academic achievement.
The street leading to the shrine is lined with teahouses selling freshly made umegae-mochi, a specialty of Dazaifu that's a rice cake filled with red bean paste. Ume is the name for plum in Japanese - you'll see that there is a plum flower motif on the rice cake. The temple is supposedly famous for its plum trees.
Me performing Temizu (手水), a cleansing ritual to be performed in Shinto shrines before approaching the deity - a symbolic gesture to show you're free from impurities. You first rinse your left hand, then your right, and then the mouth is rinsed with water from the left hand. Not many people rinse their mouth these days, but if you do, don't spit the water back in!
You can also buy a wooden plaque and write your wishes on it. I didn't bother.
A couple in traditional Japanese wedding costume having their wedding photos taken.
Umegae-mochi and matcha - if you get the one-day Dazaifu pass which is specially for tourists, this set is included in the ticket that costs 1000 yen per person. The day pass includes a return ticket from Fukuoka, this set and it entitles you to discounts if you visit the different museums in Dazaifu.
Japan's fourth national museum, the Kyushu National Museum is nestled in a quiet spot near the shrine.
Dazaifu City used to be where the regional government was situated for the whole of Kyushu about 1,300 years ago. A two-kilometre walk from the shrine will take you to these government building ruins. The trees in the background are the sakura trees in all their blooming glory.
Getting there:
From Tenjin subway station, walk to Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station (2 min). From there, take a local train to Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (43 min).