Reiwa recollections: A day in Dazaifu
Picture this: it is early spring, and you step off the platform at Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (西鉄太宰府駅 Nishitetsu Dazaifu-eki) after a half-hour train ride from Fukuoka City (福岡市 Fukuoka-shi), to find yourself greeted by bright vermillion pillars that form the roof of the station building. A plum tree is in full bloom right ahead of you in the roundabout, set against a towering mountain that has yet to shake off the barren brown of winter; you catch a whisper of its sweet scent as the wind blows by. Welcome to Dazaifu (太宰府市 Dazaifu-shi)—a picturesque city with close ties to ancient Japanese history.
Breathe in history and nature in Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine
Plum blossoms in full bloom in early spring. (Image credit: Hui Lin)
時に、初春の令月にして、気淑く風和ぎ、
梅は鏡前の粉を披き、蘭は珮後の香を薫す。
Toki ni, shoshun no reigetsu ni shite, kiyoku kaze yawaragi,
ume wa kyōzen no ko o hiraki, ran wa haigo no kō o kaorasu.
It was in new spring, in a fair month
When the air was clear and the wind a gentle breeze.
Plum flowers blossomed a beauty's charming white
And the fragrance of the orchids was their sweet perfume.
The classical Japanese poem above, from which the current era name (令和 reiwa) originated, was written during a poetry-reading and plum blossom-viewing party, a practice that originated in Dazaifu in the 8th century. This city’s historic charm makes itself known immediately as you step foot into Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (太宰府天満宮 Dazaifu Tenmangū), home to Tenjin (天神), the god of learning.
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine on a cloudless day. (Image credit: Hui Lin)
Its grounds are packed with features that morph in tandem with the seasons, serving as a visual reminder of Japan’s age-old love for nature. I especially love how the area around the shrine is populated with 6,000 plum trees for visitors to enjoy—just as Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真), the real Heian-period poet and scholar who was later deified posthumously as Tenjin, famously loved them.
Colours around Dazaifu during golden hour in late May and June. (Image credit: Hui Lin)
Visitors to Dazaifu will find themselves surrounded by colour no matter the season: late spring adorns round azalea bushes with coral, pink, and white flowers, and studs now-lush plum trees with round fruit for the eagle-eyed; in early summer, the iris pond next to the shrine erupts in a riot of lavender, deep purple, and yellow blooms, surrounded by bunches of hydrangeas dyed in every shade from white to fuschia to dusty blue; autumn brings with cooler weather warm red and orange maple leaves to the shrine.
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (太宰府天満宮)
Address: 4-7-1 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (西鉄太宰府駅)
Access: 15-minute walk from the station
Opening hours: 6:30am–7pm (Closes at 6:30pm in winter and 7:30pm in summer)
Tel: +81-92-922-8225
Kimetsu no Yaiba at Kamado Shrine
Hand-decorated(!) Kimetsu no Yaiba ema plaques (left) and a 10/10 grumpy boy cosplaying as Rengoku (right). (Image credit: Hui Lin)
For the more pop-culture minded among us, Dazaifu has also come into the spotlight recently for Kamado Shrine (竈門神社 Kamadojinja), a matchmaking shrine which has become popular amongst fans of “Demon Slayer” (鬼滅の刃 Kimetsu no Yaiba) for sharing the same family name as its protagonist, Kamado Tanjiro. The entrance to the shrine itself is flanked by rows of maple trees, which guarantee any October visitors a breathtaking approach into the heart of the shrine. The ema (絵馬 wooden votive plaque) boards, a familiar sight in any Japanese shrine, are also crowded with drawings of characters adorning locals’ prayers for luck and happiness.
In recent months, cosplayers—human and feline alike!—in Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Rengoku costumes have also taken to making their own pilgrimages there for photoshoots. Kamado Shrine is, in my opinion, also one of the most fashionable shrines I’ve ever visited. The information centre, which doubles up as the omamori (お守り protective amulet) sales area, is a newly-renovated building with floor-to-ceiling glass panels; the omamori themselves also come in a wide variety of tasteful designs.
Kamado Shrine (竈門神社)
Address: 883 Uchiyama, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0115
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (西鉄太宰府駅)
Access: 10-minute ride for ¥100 on a community bus from Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station, or a 30-minute walk uphill. Either route takes you up Mount Homan, itself a popular hiking spot for nature enthusiasts.
Opening hours: 8:30am–6pm
Tel: +81-92-922-4106
Eats along Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine path
Chikushi-an Karaage Burger. (Image credit: Hui Lin)
Feeling peckish? Head back down to the main shrine path (参道 sandō), where you will find yourself surrounded by a number of bustling shops selling food, trinkets, and souvenirs. As someone who lives in the area and goes to Dazaifu fairly frequently, you would think that I’ve become sick and tired of the offerings along the sando by now, but I am here to spread the gospel about my forever recommendation, Chikushi-an’s Karaage (唐揚げ) Chicken Burger! This little shop is tucked away to the left of the sando, and while unassuming in appearance, is easily identifiable by the smell of freshly fried chicken wafting down the street as you walk up to the shrine.
Oi, everywhere in Japan also got karaage lah, you say. Well... you’re right and should say it out loud, but the appeal of Chikushi-an’s Karaage Burger is, for me, the combination of piping hot crispy-outside-juicy-inside chicken with their burger buns, which are wider, flatter, and less sweet than run-of-the-mill brioche buns, and lean more towards a shattery, crusty-crunchy eating experience, which altogether create an entirely addictive texture and flavour party in your mouth! They have a range of different flavours to choose from—sweet-spicy chilli sauce, pickled plum mayo, nanban (南蛮) tartar sauce, salty-umami mentaiko (明太子 spicy cured cod roe)—so you can mix up your order for the day. You can also choose to buy just the karaage as takeaway: they are huge, and come in additional flavours like rock salt (for purists) and yuzu kosho (柚子胡椒) (you get a big fat spoon of it on the side—it is both a shocking black colour and far spicier than I had first imagined).
Chikushi-an Honten (筑紫庵 本店)
Address: 3-2-2 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (西鉄太宰府駅)
Access: 3-minute walk from the station
Opening hours: 8:30am–6pm
Tel: +81-92-921-8781
Fellow JR Times writer Hui Min and I with absolutely gigantic Amaou strawberry daifuku (大福). (Image credit: Hui Lin)
Dessert enthusiasts can also get their sweet fix at any of the speciality shops littering the walk up to the shrine. In addition to the numerous places selling umegaemochi (梅ヶ枝餅), an iconic traditional grilled rice cake filled with sweet azuki (あずき) bean paste and imprinted with a plum blossom motif, there are lots of traditional Japanese dessert shops, as well as smaller, trendy shops catering to a younger crowd. Huge, sweet, and juicy strawberry daifuku (大福) and skewers? Yaki-senbei (焼き煎餅) rice crackers grilled on the spot? Matcha and hojicha cheesecake? Towering, statuesque mont blanc with freshly-prepared chestnut puree? Extra-fashionable Starbucks designed by prolific architect Kuma Kengo (隈 研吾), perfect for your Instagram photos? My point being—with all of these options congregated in one street, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to go back a second time just to try everything.
Umegaemochi: Kasanoya (かさのや)
Address: 2-7-24 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu Station (西鉄太宰府駅)
Opening hours: 9am–6pm
Tel: +81-92-922-1010
Note: Kasanoya, as well as the other umegaemochi shops here, have a small dine-in section where you can order drink sets—usually coffee or tea—to have with your sweets.
Strawberry daifuku: Dazaifu Sandou TENZAN (太宰府参道 天山)
Address: 2-7-12 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu (西鉄太宰府)
Opening hours: 8:30am–5:30pm
Tel: +81-92-918-2230
Yaki-senbei: Terako-ya Dazaifu Honpo 寺子屋太宰府本舗
Address: 3-1-20 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu (西鉄太宰府)
Opening hours: 9:30am–5:30pm
Tel: +81-92-921-9008
Matcha cafe: Matcha-ya WAOWAO (MATCHA屋ワオワオ)
Address: 4-6-16 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu (西鉄太宰府)
Opening hours: 10am–5pm
Tel: +81-92-408-3222
Mont blanc: Kagu no Konomi (香菓（かぐのこのみ）)
Address: 3-2-39 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117
Nearest station: Nishitetsu Dazaifu (西鉄太宰府)
Opening hours: 9.30am–5.30pm
Tel: +81-92-923-2881
In closing, I hope that this article inspires you to adventure out into Japan’s less well-known locations when international travel becomes possible again. Despite not being located as centrally as other places like Tokyo or Osaka, I am a genuine fan of how flexible Dazaifu and Fukuoka are as travel destinations—there is absolutely something for everyone here!
Header image credit: Hui Lin
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