Hakata and Fukuoka
Official English Site Hakata Old Town https://yokanavi.com/en/hakataoldtown/
It is generally thought that Hakata is another name for Fukuoka, but originally, they were two different, adjacent towns. Hakata was a commercial town that prospered as a trading port from the Middle Ages, while Fukuoka was a castle town granted to the first Kuroda lord, Nagamasa, as a reward for his contribution to the victory at the Battle of Sekigahara. In the Meiji era, when the two towns were united, there was a dispute over the name. Ultimately, Fukuoka was chosen, but some places, like Hakata Station, retain the old name. Hakata and Fukuoka are separated on their west and east sides by a river, over which Nagamasa built bridges. The island in the dividing river is the origin of Nakasu, which means “Central River Island.”
Taiko-Wari/Taihaku Street
During the Sengoku period (from the 15th century to the 17th century), Hakata town was burnt down several times due to battles and was finally devastated. It was reconstructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leading samurai warrior, after he suppressed the Kyushu area in 1587. He made a rehabilitation plan for Hakata and executed it, dividing the town into new units (Taiko-wari). For this division, lines of streets like those of a Go board were built, with the middle of the two rivers set as the centerline in the north-south direction. As a result, many Hakata merchants who had fled from the battles returned, and the town regained its vitality.
Hakata was originally located on two separate dunes protruding into the sea (around the 9th century) and later, the two were connected (in the 12th century). The centerline from north to south was drawn by connecting the two highest points, which had been the tops of the two dunes
Ryuguji Temple
Ryuguji Temple, of the Jodo sect, was originally located on the beach near the port. According to legend, a mermaid was caught in Hakata Bay in 1222 and presented to the temple as a good omen. The temple was subsequently renamed Ryuguji—a reference to the legendary undersea palace of the dragon king where mermaids were said to live—and the mermaid’s remains were buried on the temple grounds. More about Buddhism , Click here.
Shofukuji Temple
Shofukuji is the first Zen temple in Japan. Its founder, the great master Eisai, traveled to Southern China to study Zen Buddhism and established the temple here in 1195 to spread its teachings. On the front gate hangs a tablet bearing a phrase handwritten by Emperor Gotoba.
Eisai is also credited with introducing the custom of tea drinking to Japan. In China at that time, tea was widely consumed, particularly by Buddhist monks undergoing rigorous training, as it was believed to be beneficial for strengthening the body.
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Genjuan Temple
Genjuan Temple was founded by the Buddhist priest Mugen Genkai in 1336. The original temple was located in what is now Maedashi in Fukuoka City’s East Ward, but it was destroyed by fires during the battles that occurred between 1573 and 1591. The temple was rebuilt at its present location in 1646 by Oga Sohoku, the son of a prominent Hakata merchant. Their graves are located in the temple cemetery. Master Sengai of Shofukuji Temple spent his quiet retirement years in a hermitage named “Kohakuin” located here.
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Hongakuji Temple
Hongakuji Temple (本岳寺) originally belonged to a Zen sect and was known under the kanji 本覚寺. However, at the end of the 15th century, the head priest was forced to change its affiliation to the Nichiren sect. According to the story, the priest, an avid Go player, wagered the temple in a game against the master Nichiren monk Nichiin, who had come to Hakata from Kyoto. After losing the match, he ceded the temple. As far as we know, Hongakuji is the only temple in Hakata to have changed sects.
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Myotenji Temple
Myotenji Temple was originally a Nichiren sect temple founded in what is now Yanagawa in 1381. After being relocated, it later became the family temple for the Tachibana family within the Kuroda clan. In the early 17th century, a religious debate was held at the temple between its head priest, Nichichu, and a Christian missionary. Nichichu won the debate, and to commemorate his victory, a new temple was built in what is now Fukuoka’s Central Ward. It was named Shoritsuji (勝利寺), with the characters ‘Shou’ (勝) meaning ‘victory’ and ‘ritsu’ (立) meaning ‘to establish’.
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Nureginu-zuka
The “Nureginu-zuka” is a monument commemorating a tragic tale from which the phrase ‘Nureginu’ (wet kimono) originated, now used to mean a ‘false accusation.’
According to the story, a beautiful girl incurred the jealousy of her stepmother. To eliminate her, the stepmother conspired with a fisherman to falsely accuse the daughter of theft. When the girl’s father, the provincial governor of Chikuzen, heard the accusation, he decided to investigate. He checked on his daughter while she was sleeping and discovered a wet kimono placed near her—planted evidence meant to implicate her. Despite the girl’s desperate protests of innocence, the governor, believing the false proof, tragically killed his own daughter.
Later, the daughter appeared in her father’s dream, continuing to plead her innocence. He then realized his terrible mistake. To atone for his error and appease her tormented soul, he built seven stone monuments, or ‘Ishizuka.’ The nearby Ishido Bridge is said to be named after these stone mounds, as “Ishido” (石堂) is a reading that can mean “stone hall” or “stone mound,” deriving from ‘Ishizuka’ (石塚).
Kaigenji Temple
Kaigenji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in 1396. The temple precincts include two sacred halls: ‘Enma-dou’ and ‘Kannon-dou’ (rebuilt in 2016). In Enma-dou are statues of Enma-Daio, the ruler of Hell, and Datueba,Kaigenji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in 1396. Its precincts include two sacred halls: ‘Enma-dou’ and ‘Kannon-dou’ (the latter rebuilt in 2016). The Enma-dou hall houses statues of Enma-Daio, the king of the underworld, and Datueba, an old woman who strips the dead of their clothing at the banks of the Sanzu River (the Buddhist equivalent of the Styx).
During the biannual Enma Festival, visitors offer konjac to the statue of Datueba to pray for relief from illness. This practice is linked to the preparation of konjac itself, which must be purged of its harsh, bitter impurities—a process described in Japanese as “aku o toru” (アクを取る), meaning “to remove the undesirable elements.” The word “aku” (悪) can also mean “evil” or “suffering,” creating a symbolic parallel where offering the purified food represents the prayer to remove one’s ailments. Because of this tradition, Datueba is affectionately known as ‘Konnyaku-Basan,’ or ‘the Konjac Old Lady.’
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Senchakuji Temple
Senchakuji is a Jodo-sect temple founded in the mid-16th century. The name “Senchaku,” which is uncommon today, means “to eliminate the bad and choose the good.” During the Edo period, a red-light district was situated near the temple, and it became the burial site for approximately 580 prostitutes who died as Muenbotoke—deceased persons with no relatives to care for their graves or perform memorial rites.
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Honkoji Temple
Honkoji Temple is a Nichiren sect temple that enshrines Daikokuten, the God of Wealth and Prosperity. The temple’s connection to this deity stems from a dramatic incident in the late 16th century. The wealthy Hakata merchant Sotatsu Kamiya was attending a tea ceremony hosted by Oda Nobunaga and was consequently caught up in the Honnoji Incident. However, according to tradition, Daikokuten appeared to him in a dream and warned him to depart immediately. Heeding this divine advice, Kamiya escaped and returned safely to Hakata. In gratitude for his salvation, he donated a statue of Daikokuten to the temple.
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Hakata Sen Nen Mon / Hakata One Thousand Year Gate
It is a large gate, recently built, located at the entrance to the temple district of Hakata Town. It is a reconstruction of the original gate that served as a welcoming gate to Hakata on the main route from Dazaifu during the Edo period.
