Prior to leaving Taiwan on our eight-day trip to Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, I had planned an ambitious itinerary of destinations within the city of Fukuoka, in addition other areas around the island - As a frequent traveler, you often learn the hard way that it’s difficult to predict what may happen while traveling abroad, so as usual, I made a special effort to ensure that a number of back up destinations were included on our list, so that we could make the most of our time. With only a few days in the city before hopping in a rental and taking off to other parts of Kyushu, we had to make sure to plan things well so we could enjoy as many of the sights, and probably more importantly, the food, of the city that we could.
Making things a little more difficult was that part of our itinerary included a couple of excursions out of the city, which would require hopping on the train, and would end up taking the better part of a day. Suffice to say, we had a lot to see and do, and even though it was unlikely that we’d be able to visit all the places we had planned to see, the great thing about Fukuoka is that it is a short flight from Taiwan, so its an easy place to visit!
A few days prior to our arrival in the country, we started becoming concerned that all of our meticulous planning was for naught as the forecast was less than ideal for almost the entire duration of our trip - With rain forecast for every day that we were there, when it came to the excursions out of town, we decided that we’d evaluate the situation prior to eating breakfast and making a decision from there.
Given that the Hakozaki (筥崎宮) and Dazaifu (太宰府天満宮) shrines were two of the largest, and most historically significant places of worship on the island, it was important that we were able to enjoy our experiences at both. but for my partner, the latter was one of the places that she wanted to visit the most. So, on a day when the weather looked like it wasn’t really going to cooperate, we decided to hop on Fukuoka’s subway, and ride out of the downtown area of the city to visit the historic Hakozaki Shrine. The next day, when we got on a train to head south to Dazaifu, we were delighted that the skies were bright blue.
In retrospect, even though we did end up getting a considerable amount of rain during one of the excursions, I think we ended up making the best decision. It rained heavily while we were visiting Hakozaki, which is the subject of today’s post, but I feel like the weather made the shrine even more beautiful, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the heavy rain in quite a few of the photos that I’m sharing today.
I’m not saying that I enjoyed walking around in the heavy rain, nor that I would have preferred visiting while it was raining, but taking into consideration that the the palette of colors that you experience at these shrines is completely different, I’d argue that Hakozaki has a special charm in the rain that we wouldn’t experienced if the situation were reversed.
While I’m sure both of these shrines look absolutely beautiful on a day when the weather is perfect, most of the buildings at Hakozaki date back to the sixteenth century, and the ancient wood and the dull cedar bark roofs of the buildings are brought to life in the rain. While everything is bright red at Dazaifu, the unpainted wood used on the buildings at Hakozaki blends in really well with the natural environment around it, which has been cultivated for well-over a thousand years.
Our visit to Hakozaki may have included rain, but it made for some beautiful photos, and we were also lucky enough to visit while a wedding was taking place. Not only did we get to enjoy the shrine, but we also got to do some people watching with all of the interesting things that take place when two families get together on a happy day - although I’m sure the happy couple probably hoped for better weather on such a special occasion!
Nevertheless, as one of Fukuoka’s largest, most historic, and most important places of worship, Hakozaki has also become an important tourist destination. Underscoring just how important this shrine is to the people of Fukuoka, visiting is made even more convenient in that there is a subway station that was constructed specifically for the shrine. If you’re visiting Fukuoka, even if you don’t really care about visiting shrines like this, both that I’ve mentioned here are pretty important tourist destinations, so if you’d like to better understand how the history of the area has shaped both the city and the country that we’re able to enjoy today, they should be at the top of your list of places to visit.
As I move on, I’ll start by introducing the history of the shrine, and then I’ll detail the layout of the shrine, what you’ll come across, and its architectural design, ending with an explanation of how to visit. Admittedly, this article is quite long, and includes quite a bit of detail. Sadly, as I’ve had to learn the hard way, there is very little in terms of information about the shrine available in English, so I hope the effort I’ve put in here helps anyone who visits better undrstand what’s going on!
Hakozaki Shrine (筥崎宮 / はこざきぐう)
One of the things you’re likely to learn on a trip to Japan is that the shrines you visit and the kami enshrined within them tend to act as a mirror into the history and culture of the local community. In the southern port city of Fukuoka, and by extension, the greater Kyushu region, you’ll find that the history of the land has been shaped very much by a few specific ‘kami', often historic or legendary figures. These local figures, whose spirits are thought to inhabit the natural world, do the things that typical kami do by providing blessings to the people of the area in areas such as health, wealth, good fortune, and so on, but they have also played an important role in local history.
In this case, Hakozaki Shrine is dedicated primarily to Hachiman (八幡神), who has become one of the most important kami in Japan - regarded as the divine protector of the Japanese nation, the Japanese people, and the Imperial House. With over 44,000 shrines dedicated to Hachiman in Japan, you might be wondering what specific relevance he has to the area, which is something I’m going to explain, as the legend of Hachiman, and the spread of his worship throughout the country are all things that started in the area we know as Fukuoka today.
In the English-language, Hachiman is often referred to as the ‘Japanese god of war’, but that is an over-simplification of the role he has played as the spiritual ‘protector’ of Japan. Has his worship been usurped for war-like purposes? Sure, but when your ‘official messenger’ is a dove, you probably aren’t the Japanese version of the Greek God Ares. Better known as a tutelary god of warriors, Hachiman is primarily regarded a protector deity, and is often most associated with archery, but he is also an important figure with regard to offering blessings to farmers, fishers, and travelers, as well as being a patron deity of commerce and industry, scholarship and the arts, among other roles.
Cementing his reputation and role as a ‘protector’ deity, Hachiman is regarded as the deity responsible for the ‘Divine Wind’, better known as ‘kamikaze’ (神風 / かみかぜ) that helped to stave off the invasion of Mongol forces on two separate occasions. It’s likely that during the attempted invasions that took place in 1274 and 1281, typhoons in the Sea of Japan, between China and Japan, dispatched a large portion of the invasion forces, ensuring that the Japanese would become one of the few countries of Asia that were able to resist the power of the Khans.
Nevertheless, the story of Hachiman goes back to the life of Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), the fifteenth emperor of Japan, thought to have ruled between 370 and 410AD. Given that the emperor’s life took place before written record became common in Japan, much of what we know about him is told in the Kojiki (古事記), and the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), known in English as the ‘Records of Ancient Matters’ and the ‘Chronicles of Japan,’ respectively. Part historical record, part myths and legends, the two books are essentially a historical account of the origin of the Japanese nation, the imperial line of succession and the deities worshipped in the country. However, if we take into consideration that both of these chronicles were authored several hundred years after the emperor’s death, it is difficult to separate fact and fiction.
The story of Emperor Ojin’s starts with his parents, Emperor Chuai (仲哀天皇 / ちゅうあいてんの), the fourteenth Emperor of Japan, thought to have ruled between 192 and 200AD, and his mother, Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう). Part of the reason why Hachiman worship, and by extension, the worship of the Sumiyoshi Sanjin (住吉三神) are so common in Kyushu is in part due to Ojin’s father setting up his capital in Kyushu (九州), rather than Yamato (大和国), as well as the legends that resulted in Ojin’s birth.
Ojin’s mother, Empress Jingu was a shamaness, who is said to have been possessed by ‘supernatural force’ on the eve of a battle with a clan to the south of Fukuoka. That ‘supernatural force’ insisted that the Emperor abandon his battle with the clan, and instead take to the water to conquer the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje.
Scorning the idea, the emperor continued with his battle plans, and ended up being killed in the process. Having warned her husband to pay homage to the gods, the emperor’s refusal to adhere to their will was considered to be the reason for his untimely demise. Thus, the Empress Consort, who was pregnant with their son at the time, ascended the throne as empress regent, and carried out the gods request to invade the Korean kingdoms.
According to the legends in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, she prayed to the ‘Sumiyoshi Sanjin’ prior to setting sail, and with the blessing of the gods, the military expedition went quite smoothly. The legends of Jingu’s ascension to the throne, her status as a shaman, and the conquest of the Korean kingdoms is explained quite well in the article below, as are the questions to whether they are actually based on historic fact.
Link: Jingu c. 201–269 (Encyclopedia) | Empress Jingū (Wiki)
Note: The life of Empress Jingu, and the birth of her son are regarded as somewhat controversial today as it involves the invasion of the Korean peninsula.
Prince Ojin was born in 201AD in Tsukushi Province (筑紫国) a region that would later become known as Chikuzen Province (筑前国), and most recently Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡縣). When the prince was born, eight banners were raised on top of a mountain on an island that celebrated his birth (and in some accounts) celebrating the victory over the Korean kingdoms. According to records, he was crowned prince at the age of four, but for some reason his mother clung onto power until he was seventy years old. His reign would last for the next four decades, which means he lived until he was 110 years old, but some accounts suggest he died at 130.
During his reign, it is said that he encouraged farming and the construction of irrigation networks. He also invited craftsman, artists and scholars from both China and Korea, who came to Japan, bringing with them knowledge of spinning, sewing and weaving as well as the introduction of literature, which helped to further develop scholarship in the country.
As things go, one day on the northern coast of Kyushu, in the land of Usa (宇佐の地), a kami named ‘Hachiman’ emerged from a freshwater pool, and in 571AD, Emperor Kinmei (欽明天皇 / きんめいてんのう) decreed that the kami who appeared in the pool in Usa was indeed a manifestation of his ancestor, Emperor Ojin.
Known either as ‘Yahata-no-kami’, or Hachiman (八幡神 / やはたのかみ/はちまんしん), the name refers to the ‘eight banners’ mentioned above that celebrated the birth of Emperor Ojin, which is one of the reasons why the kami ended up being identified as the manifestation of Emperor Ojin.
The first shrine dedicated to Hachiman was constructed near the pool where the kami first appeared in the land of Usa in the north of Kyushu. The shrine, known as ‘Usa Jingu’ (宇佐神宮) or ‘Usa Hachimangu’ (宇佐八幡宮) was constructed in the eighth century, and today continues to be the most important of the nation’s more than forty-thousand Hachiman shrines.
That being said, large shrines like this one often take part in a ‘sharing’ ceremony where a shrine ‘divides’ the power of a kami allowing for another shrine to be constructed. For those of you unfamiliar with how Shinto Shrines partition, or ‘divide’ a kami’s power, I recommend checking out the explanations linked below. The process from which larger shrines share divinity with smaller shrines is something that is common in Japan, but is also a practice that you’ll find takes place throughout Asia.
As Chikuzen Province (筑前国) was the birthplace of Emperor Ojin, it only made sense that a major shrine in his honor was constructed in his homeland. Hakozaki Shrine was established in 923AD on a large plot of land close to the Sea of Japan where the emperor was born, and along with the Usa Shrine is one of the most important sites dedicated to the worship of Hachiman.
In fact, the shrine is regarded as one of the ‘Three Most Important Hachiman Shrines in Japan’ (日本三大八幡宮). While Usa Shrine boasts its status as the birthplace of Hachiman worship as the head of all Hachiman shrines, Hakozaki, on the other hand, is the protector of Emperor Ojin’s umbilical cord, which is kind of weird, but is also the shrine that is arguably most responsible for the spread of the Hachiman cult throughout the country. Thus, being the ‘first' doesn’t always mean ‘the best’ as Hakozaki holds an especially important position in the growth and spread of Hachiman worship throughout the rest of the country, spurred on by events that took place in the area.
Before we get into the events that took place after the founding of the shrine, and the spread of Hachiman worship throughout the country, it’s probably a good idea to take a look at the name of the shrine to explain it’s meaning, because it’s something that is actually a little confusing.
The first Hachiman Shrine is known simply as the Usa Shrine (宇佐神宮), named simply after the land where the shrine is located - The origin of Hakozaki’s name however is a bit more complicated, and has something to do with that ‘umbilical cord’ mentioned above - The word ‘Hako’ (筥 / はこ) refers to something ‘cylindrical’ in shape. What may confuse a lot of people however is that you’ll often see the Kanji characters “筥” and “箱” used interchangeably when referring to the shrine, and the neighborhood around it.
Essentially both characters have the same meaning and the same pronunciation, but the latter is more commonly used in contemporary Japanese to refer to a ‘box.’ In this case, the ‘cylindrical box’ being referred to is a bit convoluted in its meaning - Some suggest that the robes that Empress Jingu wore while giving birth were placed in a box, and buried on site while others suggest that the box not only contained Jingu’s robes, but the afterbirth as well (including the umbilical cord). Finally, others suggest that the ‘cylindrical’ shape being referred to is simply the pine tree that was planted by Empress Jingu on the site where the shrine would later be constructed. Whatever your interpretation, in each explanation, there are only minor differences, but what we do know is that within the shrine’s grounds, you’ll find the pine tree where there may or may not be a sacred box buried beneath.
The second character in the name of the shrine is a bit less confusing as the word ‘saki’ or ‘zaki’ (崎 / さき), depending on how you romanize the word, simply translates as a peninsula, referring to the location where the shrine was constructed. For keen observers, you’re likely to note that the subway station next to the shrine is named: Hakozakigu-mae Station (箱崎宮前駅), which in English doesn’t really make much difference. Similarly, you’ll find the Hakozaki JR Station (箱崎駅), Hakozaki Park (箱崎公園), etc.
Each of these places makes use of the character “Hako” (箱) instead of the “Hako” (筥) used for the shrine - One of the better explanations for the usage of the two different characters is simply that is meant to show respect to the shrine, which predates the neighborhood that has grown around it.
The official date of the shrine’s establishment likewise is one of those things that tends to be a bit confusing, with rather unreliable explanations on the subject. Some accounts point to Emperor Daigo (醍醐天皇 / だいごてんのう) in 921 (延喜21年) gifting a ‘plaque’ to the site where a shrine was planned to be established, while others argue that 923 is a more exact date as it is when the shrine was officially consecrated. With the latter, you could argue that the process of bringing the ‘power' of Hachiman from the Usa Grand Shrine to Hakozaki finalized things, but sometimes these things are counted differently. Whatever your opinion on the subject, the shrine is more than 1100 years old, so the two year difference probably doesn’t matter all that much.
Hakozaki was constructed in a location that purposely had it facing eastward toward the Asian mainland, in a spot that was near the birthplace of Emperor Ojin. The location was considered a strategic one in that it occupied a space that was an optimal location within Hakata Bay for defense purposes. Hakata Bay as we know it today is and has been an important international port of trade for quite a while, so even in the tenth century when the shrine was constructed, the port would have been a hot-spot with regard to any planned invasion of the country.
Back to a point I made earlier, Hakozaki has been uniquely important with regard to the spread of Hachiman’s popularity over the years, but it has also seen its fair share of misery, as well. During the two attempted Mongol invasions of Japan, people prayed at the shrine for Hachiman’s protection, resulting in the ‘divine’ typhoons that swept away most of the invasion forces. That being said, in both cases, the point of landing would have been in the Hakata Bay area, and even though a fraction of the Mongol forces ended up coming ashore, they were only barely defeated by the Japanese.
News of the Mongol’s defeat and the so-called ‘Divine Wind’ that helped protect the country from invasion quickly spread across the country, and worship of Hachiman thus became synonymous with protection.
Helping to increase the popularity of Hachiman, the powerful Minamoto Clan (源氏 / みなもとうじ) of Samurai, who (were said to be) descended from Emperor Ojin, at some point claimed the deity as their patron. The clan was one of four that dominated the country between the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi and Edo periods of history (basically 794 - 1868). During each of these eras, powerful political figures from Daimyo’s (大名 / だいみょう) to the Shogun (大将軍 / だいしょうぐん) made pilgrimages to Hakozaki to pay their respect to the ‘kami of the divine wind’ who protected the country.
When the ‘Divine Wind’ story is told, what the storyteller most often fails to mention is that the Mongols who did make it ashore were able to cause a considerable amount of mayhem, and Hakozaki Shrine was razed and destroyed. It was later rebuilt, but over the centuries it has fallen victim to the various civil wars that have plagued Japan throughout its history - with some warlords even making the shrine their base of operation on several occasions. With this in mind, even though the shrine was established well-over a thousand years ago, what we see today only dates back to the mid-sixteenth century, but as you look at the scrolls of the original shrine (like the one above), you can see that it has expanded quite a bit over the years with several new buildings, auxiliary shrines, and modern facilities.
Kami Enshrined at Hakozaki Shrine
In addition to Hachiman, there are another two kami enshrined within the Main Hall of the Hakozaki Shrine. There are of course a number of auxiliary shrines on-site that are home to a number of other kami, which I’ll cover a bit later. The three kami enshrined within the Main Hall are as follows:
Hachiman (八幡神 / はちまんしん), otherwise known as Emperor Ojin (應神天皇 / おうじんてんのう), as mentioned earlier he serves a number of roles as the ‘Protector of Japan,’ the ‘Protector of the Imperial Family,’ and is the patron of seafarers and farmers, commerce, industry, scholarship, the arts, archers, martial arts, etc.
Empress Jingu (神功皇后 / じんぐうこうごう) - the mother of Emperor Ojin, who was an empress and shamaness. Stories of her life are told in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and as a kami she is worshipped for good fortune, passing exams, health and wellness, martial arts, etc. Like her son, Ojin, she has also been syncretized with Buddhism where she is important for childbirth and child-rearing, household safety, etc.
Tamayori-hime (玉依姫命 / タマヨリビメ) - the mother of Emperor Jimmu (Japan’s first emperor), the daughter of Watatsumi, the sea-dragon god, and a direct descendent of Amaterasu Omikami. Similar to Jinggu, she is a divine-mother as well as being regarded as the goddess of the sea and a patron of seafarers.
Before I move onto introducing the layout and architectural design of the shrine, it’s probably a good idea to give readers a bit of context with regard to the three kami mentioned above, and the reason why they appear specifically at this shrine (for which there are a number of reasons), some of which aren’t often mentioned. Starting with Hachiman, obviously as I’ve mentioned earlier, given that the area where the shrine is located is regarded as his birthplace, it makes sense to have a shrine in his honor here.
The Fukuoka region, though, has played an important role in the legends of Emperor Ojin’s family. Going back as far as his father’s ill-fated war against the Kumaso Clan (熊襲 / くまそ), and his mother’s expedition to the Korean kingdoms, the family’s actions have played an important role in the development of Hakata into the international port as we know it today.
Even though worship of these figures has spread throughout Japan, it’s important to note that they are especially important in Kyushu - If you find yourself visiting Fukuoka, you might notice that Empress Jingu is enshrined as the primary deity within Kashii-gu (香椎宮), in addition to Japan’s first Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社) - another large Shinto sect for which Empress Jingu played an instrumental role in it’s growth.
Finally, it makes sense that a shrine located so close to Hakata Bay would pay homage to Tamayori-hime, a goddess of the sea - but there is a relationship here that likewise doesn’t often get mentioned - In this case, Tamayori-hime isn’t exactly a ‘regional’ figure, as she is a kami straight out of Japan’s creation myths (although it could be argued that she hailed from southern Kyushu). The granddaughter of the sun-goddess Amaterasu, Tamayori-hime is regarded as the mother of Jimmu (神武天皇), the legendary first emperor of Japan, and the figure for which the Imperial Household has long drawn both its legitimacy and its divinity. Emperor Chuai and Emperor Ojin, the 14th and 15th emperors of Japan were thus related to Tamayori through the Imperial line.
With Empress Jinggu, we have a figure who is regarded as a ‘divine mother,’ as the mother of the man who would become Hachiman - Tamayori-Hime on the other hand plays a similar role in that she’s the mother of what has become the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world.
Suffice to say, for most visitors to Japan, a stop at a Shinto Shrine is an excellent opportunity to experience the culture of the Japanese people, and even though these places tend to come across as rather simplistic, they are in fact, very complex, and require a considerable amount of research to actually understand what is going on, and how all of these things are interconnected. Hakozaki Shrine is a prime example of how historic events two-thousand years in the making helped to shape Japan and its culture and beliefs.
Architectural Design
As one of the most popular sects of Shintoism, there are well-over forty-thousand shrines dedicated to the worship of Hachiman in Japan. Obviously, with so many shrines, there is a considerable variety with regard to the architectural design, but for many, if not most, the first Hachiman Shrine, Usa Jingu (宇佐神宮) serves as the prototype for most offering up very specific architectural design traits that have been utilized since the 8th century. Shinto Shrines in Japan come in all shapes, sizes, and architectrual styles, but when it comes to these Hachiman shrines, they are so important that they have their own unique style of architectural design, known as ‘hachiman-zukuri’ (八幡造 / はちまんづくり).
One of the points I made in my introduction to the architectural design of Fukuoka’s Sumiyoshi Shrine was that it was constructed in one of the three ancient styles of architectural design that pre-dated the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. In the case of the Usa Hachiman Shrine, and those that followed, the ‘hachiman-zukuri’ design was one that came after Buddhism started to influence the architectural designs of shrines and temples in Japan. Thus, you’ll find that even though there are some variations with regard to the Hachiman-style at the Hakozaki Shrine, it contains elements that you’ll only find at the largest Hachiman shrines.
However, as I mentioned earlier, Hakozaki was established during the early 10th century, but over the past thousand years, it has been destroyed on several different occasions - Much of what we see at the shrine today was constructed during the mid-sixteenth century, which is still quite incredible as the most important structures within the shrine have been there for nearly five-hundred years. That being said, the ‘latest’ incarnation of the shrine differs quite a bit from what you’d typically see at a shrine constructed in the Hachiman-style.
As I move on, I’m going to introduce each of the key parts of the shrine individually, and in each case I’ll do my best to offer information about their age and their architectural design. I realize that some of you may not be interested in all of this detailed information, so if you just want to know what each part of the shrine is in simple terms, click the collapsible button below. Within, I’ll provide the map of the shrine, courtesy of Hakozaki’s official website, with translations as to what each section is so that you can better understand what you’ll see when you visit.
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The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう) - a long walking path that features shrine gates (鳥居), stone lanterns (石燈籠), and stone guardians (狛犬), in addition to practical things like the subway station, car park, etc.
The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ) - as you pass through the main shrine gate, you’ll notice a roof-covered fountain on the right, which is used for a purification ceremony that anyone entering the shrine should take part in.
Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ) - the building where the administration of the shrine takes place, amulets can be purchased there, and ceremonies are often held within.
Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん) - an open, roof-covered hall that is home to several plaques that have been gifted to the shrine, most often from emperors and other important figures.
Divine Tree (神木 / 筥松) - A fenced in pine tree where it is said that Emperor Ojin’s afterbirth is buried in a box beneath. The fence is where visitors place the charms that they purchase at the shrine, given that it is an important spiritual part of the shrine.
Emperor Kameyama Memorial Hall (龜山上皇尊像) - A hall constructed to the memory of Emperor Kameyama, the 90th emperor of Japan, and the person who donated the plaque on the Tower Gate.
Tower Gate (樓門 / ろうもん) - Regarded as a Japanese National Treasure, the Tower Gate is one of the most architecturally distinct sections of the shrine.
Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん) - An open structure just beyond the Tower Gate where worshippers approach to announce their arrival, offer donations, and pray.
Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん) - the most sacred section of the shrine, which is off-limits to ordinary members of the public.
Auxiliary Shrines (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ) - smaller shrines, located to the rear of the main shrine, which are home to kami that share a relationship with the shrine
The Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう)
The Visiting Path, otherwise known as the “sando” (さんどう) is an important aspect of the design of any Shinto Shrine - the path is essentially just a road that leads visitors to the shrine. While these paths serve a functional purpose, they are also quite symbolic in that the “road” is the path that one takes on the road to spiritual purification. Keeping in mind that ‘Shintoism’ itself is literally translated as the “Pathway to the Gods” (神道), having a literal path that leads from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred is quite important.
In this case, the path starts at Hakata Bay and ends about a kilometer away at the main entrance to the shrine. Functionally speaking, the Visiting Path today is home to several parking lots, a subway station, bus stops, etc. Visitors to the shrine are likely to start their journey to the shrine about halfway through where they emerge from the subway station.
The average length of a Visiting Path at a shrine tends to vary based on the amount of space reserved for the shrine, but one thing that almost always remains true is that you’ll find stone lanterns (石燈籠 / しゃむしょ), shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい) and stone guardians (狛犬 / こまいぬ) along your journey.
Starting at Hakata Bay, you’ll find the Hama Shrine Gate (箱崎浜), and then about halfway up the Visiting Path, you’ll find the massive Second Shrine Gate (二之鳥居) donated in 1930, and as you approach the entrance, you’ll find the First Shrine Gate (一之鳥居). The shrine gate located at the entrance to the shrine is regarded as a National Treasure (国指定重要文化財), and was presented to the shrine by Feudal Lord Kuroda Nagamasa (黒田 長政 / くろだ ながまさ) in 1609. This style of shrine gate is unique to this shrine, and has been dubbed the ‘Hakozaki Style Torii’ (筥崎鳥居), a nod to its importance.
Finally, on either side of the First Shrine Gate, you’ll find the shrine’s primary stone-guardians. Known in Japan as ‘komainu’ (狛犬 / こまいぬ), they were designed in a bulky and fearsome fashion, and appear quite similar to the stone guardians you’ll find at other important shrines in the Greater-Fukuoka region. The guardians date back to 1930 (昭和5年), making them somewhat recent additions.
Link: Komainu Lion Dogs (Japan Visitor)
The Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ)
Located to the right of the shrine gate as you enter the shrine, you’ll find what is known as the 'Purification Fountain’, another essential addition to any Shinto Shrine. Like the Visiting Path, a fountain is sure to appear in some shape or form at every shrine you visit as it marks another important philosophical aspect to Shintoism, referred to as “hare and ke” (ハレとケ), or the "sacred-profane dichotomy."
Similar to the Visiting Path, which marks the ‘journey’ from the sacred to the profane, it is important for visitors to one of these sacred spaces to cross the barrier in the cleanliest possible manner. To do this, visitors symbolically take part in a purification ceremony at the chozuya (ちょうずしゃ) or temizuya (てみずしゃ) provided. For international tourists, the process can be somewhat confusing, so the shrine has set up a easy to understand illustration next to the fountain that assists in the process.
To purify yourself you should follow these steps:
Pick up a ladle with your right hand.
Scoop some water from the fountain
Purify the left hand.
Purify the right hand.
Pour some water in your left hand and put it in your mouth.
Bend over and (cover your mouth as you) spit the water on the ground.
Purify the handle of the ladle and then lay the dipper face down for the next person to use.
Link: How to Perform the “Temizu” Ritual (Youtube)
The fountain is contained within a structure that is supported by four thick wooden pillars that support a beautiful hip-and-gable roof. The fountain itself has been carved out of stone with the words “洗心” (cleanse your heart) carved into the base. You’ll find the fountain is full of water and there are wooden ladles on all sides for visitors to make use of during the cleansing process.
Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ)
As you enter the gate to the shrine, you’ll see the Tower Gate directly in front of you, the Purification Fountain on your right, and on your left, you’ll find the Shrine’s Administration Office, known in Japanese as a ‘shamusho’ (社務所 / しゃむしょ). Within the building, the shrine’s priests, priestesses, and other shrine personnel rest when they are not performing their sacred duties. Given that it is a large building, it is also used as a space to hold lectures, or for anyone who has a special request for prayers or rites. The Administration Office also features a ‘Public Counter’ (授与所 / じゅよじょ), which is like a gift shop where visitors can ‘receive' (purchase) shrine branded tokens and amulets, or talismans to hang near the sacred pine tree.
Obviously, given that this building is an administration area and resting space, it’s not a building where tourists are permitted to randomly enter. The shrine doesn’t offer much information about the date of the building’s construction, but it appears to be quite new. When you look at the building directly, it gives the impression that it is a long-rectangular structure that is mostly made of wood, and features a high sloping roof. Looks can be a bit deceiving in this case, however, as the building is ‘L-shaped’ and connects to buildings to the rear that are completely out of sight. While much of the space is used for administrative purposes, there is a building located within a courtyard that is used for marriage ceremonies, which is a pretty popular thing to do at the shrine.
Talisman Hall (絵馬殿 / えまでん)
Directly across from the shrine’s administration office, you’ll find a structure known as the ‘Talisman Hall’, which is actually something that is relatively new to me. I haven’t seen many of these within a shrine during my travels. Talismans are the pieces of wood, known as ‘Ema’ (絵馬／えま) that visitors purchase to write prayers or wishes on and leave at the shrine.
This building isn’t for those types, though.
What you’ll find while inside are large wooden plaques that offer quite a bit of information about the shrine’s history while others feature faded murals of historic events. Again, there isn’t much information about the plaques, but they all appear to be quite old, so it would be nice to have a little information about their origin.
During my visit, the hall was empty, but it was an excellent refuge from the rain that was coming down as well as giving us the opportunity to continue taking photos of the shrine. Covered with a massive hip-and-gable roof, the lower part of the building is completely open to the elements with everything being held up by twelve large wooden pillars and a network of trusses within.
Like the Administration Hall, there isn’t much information about the age of the building, but taking a look at the wood that was used to construct the building, it does show signs of age.
Tower Gate (樓門 / ろうもん)
Tower Gates, otherwise known as ‘romon' (樓門 / ろうもん) can be considered a common addition to Hachiman Shrines, but generally speaking, gates like this are more associated with the architectural layout of Buddhist temples in Japan than they are with Shinto Shrines. While there are, of course, exceptions to the rule, when you find a gate like this at a Shinto Shrine, it is somewhat of a special occasion.
In this case, the Tower Gate has been designated an ‘Important National Treasure’ (国指定重要文化財) by the Japanese government. Officially named “The Gate of Prostrating Enemies” (伏敵門) thanks to the plaque that rests within the mid-section. The plaque, which is thought to have been inscribed by Emperor Kameyama (1249-1305) reads “May the enemy nations prostrate themselves [in defeat]” (敵国降伏), referring to the Mongol’s failed invasions of the country.
Constructed in 1594 (文禄3年) with funds donated from Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川隆景), the feudal lord of Chikuzen, the gate features three entrances (三間一戸) with statues of ceremonial guards known as ’Kadomori-no-kami’ (門守の神) on either side of the middle door. Although they are somewhat obscured, you’ll notice that they’re both well-dressed figures who are holding bows and arrows with the god on the left known as Yadaijin (矢大臣) while the one on the right is Sadajin (左大臣).
Constructed in the irimoya-zukuri (入母造 / いりもやづくり) style or architectural design, the gate features a ‘moya’ (母屋) or a base that is considerably smaller than the massive hip-and-gable roof above. Similar to the Talisman Hall mentioned earlier, there is a genius network of trusses within the gate that help to support and distribute the wright of the roof. In this case, you can’t actually see that network at work as it is covered up.
The roof is covered with Japanese cedar bark (檜皮葺) and as traditional hip-and-gable roof (歇山頂) it features a combination of the two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり), and the four-sided yosemune-zukuri (寄棟造 / よせむねづくり) styles of roof design that work together to create the curvy hip-and-gable design.
The roof is even more impressive when you realize after entering the gate that it connects directly to the roof of the ‘Hall of Worship,’ which is facing in a different direction, creating an interesting geometric shape.
Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん）
The Main Hall and the Hall of Worship of the shrine were reconstructed together in 1546 (天文15年), with funds donated by Ouchi Yoshitaka (大内 義隆 / おおうち よしたか), who was the lord of Suo Province (周防国), an area that today encompasses much of western Honshu’s Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県). As is the case with the Tower Gate, both the Main Hall and the Hall of Worship have been designated as protected national heritage buildings.
As you enter the worship area, you’ll notice that there really isn’t all that much room for visitors beyond the doors. There is an altar space where visitors are able to approach to announce their arrival to the kami inside, but the passageways on the sides of the altar are blocked for the average visitor.
Suffice to say, you aren’t able to see much of what’s going on from the front of the altar as there is an elevated stage in the middle of the open-building, which is used for kagura performances (神楽/かぐら) for the kami. Interestingly, these performances are a type of Shinto ritual dance that are performed solely for the entertainment of the gods.
The Main Hall, which is known in Japan as the “haiden” (拜殿 /はいでん) was constructed in the irimoya-style, and is architecturally similar to the Talisman Hall that I introduced earlier in that it is constructed almost entirely of wood, with a network of pillars along its perimeter, and trusses in the ceiling space that help support and distribute the weight of the roof.
Where the building differs is that much of its floor space is elevated off of the ground for the performance stage, and in the design of its roof, which is a two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり). The sloping two-sided roof is designed to appear similar to the word “入”, but can also be described as appearing like a open book that is placed with its cover up. Similar to the tower in front, the roof is covered with layers of Japanese cedar bark (檜皮葺) instead of the copper tiles that you’ll often see at modern shrines.
One thing that you’ll want to pay attention to when visiting are the small piles of sand that are placed on the altar. The sand is from the beach that is located at the start of the Visiting Path to the shrine. Considered sacred, the sand is often carried by worshippers from the beach to the shrine as a method of preventing accidents and for good fortune. One of the shrine’s major festivals is focused entirely on bringing large amounts of sand from the beach to the shrine, attracting thousands of people several times a year.
Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん)
The Main Hall is located directly behind the Hall of Worship, otherwise known as the “honden” (本殿/ほんでん), it is the most sacred part of any Shinto Shrine, and the home of the gods.
Connected to the roof of the Hall of Worship, the buildings within the sacred space of the shrine more or less form the shape of a ’T’ with the front hall connecting to the building directly in the center.
Originally, I had assumed that the architectural design of the Main Hall followed that of the Usa Hachiman Shrine in Northern Kyushu with its iconic ‘Hachiman-style’ (八幡造) design, but I later discovered that when the buildings were reconstructed in the 16th century, variations were made to the architectural design. Suffice to say, the building was constructed with a rare style of design known as ‘Kukkensha Nagare-zukuri’ (九間社流造). In this style of design, the word ‘flowing’ is key as it features a streamlined gable-style roof. The core of the building, known as the ‘moya’ (母屋) is elevated off of the ground with a set of stairs that brings you to the entrance. Surrounding the core along the perimeter, you’ll find a veranda, known as a ‘hisashi’ (廂 / ひさし) that opens up to entrances and another two sets of stairs on the eastern and western sides.
What makes the design of this building special is its length, which can be from one to eleven ‘bays’ (間) wide. In most cases, buildings like this are one or three bays wide (you’ll never find one that is six or eight bays wide), but this one is nine bays wide, which is where the ‘kukkensha’ (九間社) part of its name comes from, and means that the building is eighteen meters in length.
Note: A ‘bay’, known as a ‘ken’ (間) is essentially the space between columns within a building. Given that interior spaces in Japan weren’t traditionally partitioned in the same way we separate spaces in the west, they originally measured space in ‘bays’, which was of uniform length, usually just under two meters. These days, you’ll find the size of interior spaces in Japan measured by the uniform size of a Tatami mat (1.8mx0.9m).
The roof of the building, like the Hall of Worship in front of it, features an asymmetrical-gabled roof (kirizuma-yane / 切妻屋根) where it projects outward from the front of the building and connects to the roof of the Hall of Worship. The two-sided sloping roof, however, is made much more complex in that it is dual-layered on the non-gabled sides in the ‘ryonagare-zukuri’ (両流造) style that forms somewhat of an extension on either side, increasing the length of the building. Following with the roofs of the other buildings, it is covered in cedar bark, instead of copper tiles.
One of the most obvious things that sets the Main Hall apart from the other buildings within the shine is that it has been painted with a red lacquer, which makes the building shrine in the sun. The color scheme is a mixture of the red lacquer with plain white walls, and some decorative elements.
Like I said earlier, though, it’s not easy to see much of what is going on with the building given that you can’t approach it. If you plan on visiting the shrine, I recommend entering the sacred space through the tower gate, checking out the interior of that area, and then when you’re done, you can walk around the wooden fence that surrounds that space to check out the design of the roof and try to get some different views of the building.
Auxiliary Shrines (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ)
Hakozaki is home to two auxiliary shrines, known as ‘Massha shrines’ (末社 / まっしゃ), located to the rear of the main shrine. Translated literally as ‘minor’ shrines or a ‘under’ shrines, to the naked eye, they might seem considerably smaller than the main shrine, but don’t let that fool you, they’re still home to kami, which makes them quite important. As the home of kami, these miniature shrines feature all of the essential architectural elements that you’d find at a larger shrine, just on a much smaller scale. You’ll find elaborately designed roofs, stairs, doors, and other decorative elements.
In most cases, the kami who are enshrined within these spaces share a relationship with those enshrined within the larger shrine space, and their inclusion offers visitors a broader experience when visiting.
In this case, the two auxiliary shrines are known simply as the ‘Eastern Massha’ (東末社) and ‘Western Massha’ (西末社). Each of the shrines features its own shrine gate (鳥居), a set of stone guardians (狛犬), and a single building that is covered by a hip-and-gable roof, and is surrounded by a fence. Both of the buildings are split into five sections with pillars on either side of each of the shrines that help to support the weight of the roof.
Starting with the ‘Western Massha’, the building is split into the five following sections:
Ryu’o-sha Shrine (龍王社) - the Dragon King (龍王), a Chinese deity of the sea and sky is enshrined within. Influenced through the spread of Buddhism in Japan from China, the Dragon King is often prayed to during periods of drought.
Wakamiya Shrine (若宮殿) - the kami of performing arts is enshrined within.
Emperor Chuai Shrine (仲哀殿) - a shrine dedicated to the father of Emperor Ojin.
Itukushima Shrine (厳島殿) - a shrine dedicated to travel safety.
Minjun Shrine (民潤社) - a shrine dedicated to the prevention of fire.
Note: The set of Stone Guardians at the Western Shrine were dedicated in 1916 (大正5年)
The ‘Eastern Massha’ is split into the five following sections:
Ikeshima Shrine (池島殿) - as confusing as this might sound, this shrine is dedicated to the patrons of ‘hands’ and ‘feet’. The deities enshrined here are Kagutsuchi no Mikoto (賀具土命), Okutsuhiko no Mikoto (奥津彦命), and Okutsuhime no Mikoto (奥津姫命). Parents of young children often visit the shrine to pray for ‘strong legs’ for their child, fastening a straw sandal talisman near the altar as an offering to the three kami.
Takenouchi Shrine (竹内社) - a shrine dedicated to health and longevity.
Otsutsu Shrine (乙子宮) - a shrine dedicated to the kami of child birth.
Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉殿) - a shrine dedicated to the Sumiyoshi Sanjin focusing on safety while traveling at sea.
Inari Shrine (稲荷神社) - a shrine dedicated to the accumulation of wealth, and the guardian deity of fields.
Note: The date that the set of Stone Guardians at the Eastern Shrine were dedicated is unknown, but what is interesting about them is that they are ‘Taiwanese’-style Stone Guardians, so it’s likely they were dedicated during the island’s Japanese Colonial Period between 1895 - 1945. I’ve tried to find information about them, but didn’t have much luck. One guess could be that they were gifted to the shrine after a ‘power-sharing’ ceremony with a Hachiman shrine that was being constructed in Taiwan.
Getting There
Address: 1 Chome-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka 812-0053
(〒812-0053 福岡市東区箱崎1-22-1)
GPS: 24.338380, 120.590850
MAPCODE: 13 411 330*17
Telephone: 092-641-7431
While it does depend on where you’re staying when you’re in town, getting to Hakozaki shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most travelers as it is conveniently accessible via several methods of public transportation.
If you’ve rented a car, never fear, the shrine offers a considerable amount of parking spaces for visitors, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a spot, unless of course, there’s a special event taking place on the day of your visit. For the purpose of this article though, I won’t spend too much time explaining how to get there in a car. If you’re driving, simply input the MAPCODE or the telephone number provided above into your vehicle’s navigation system, and your route will be mapped out for you.
For those of you making use of Kyushu’s excellent public transportation network, as I mentioned above, you’re in luck - The shrine is accessible and within walking distance from the Fukuoka subway (福岡市営地下鉄), Japan Railway’s Kagoshima Main Line (JR鹿児島本線), JR Kyushubus (JR九州バス) and the Nishitetsu Bus (西鉄バス).
Fukuoka Subway - The the Hakozaki Blue Line (箱崎線) to Hakozakimiya-Mae Station (箱崎宮前駅) and from Exit 1, you’ll find yourself emerging on the shrine’s Visiting Path, about a three minute walk from the main gate.
Japan Railway’s Kagoshima Line - Getting off at Hakozaki Station (箱崎駅下車), the shrine is about an eight minute walk south of the station. You’ll find a number of signs along the streets pointing you in the direction of the shrine, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting there.
JR Kyushubus - From Hakata Station, you’ll get on the Nogata Route (直方線) and ride the bus until you arrival at the Hakozaki Chome 1 (箱崎1丁目) stop, which is only the second stop away from the railway station.
Nishitetsu Bus - Fukuoka’s largest public bus company, you’ll find a number of routes that service the shrine, so I recommend going directly to the website (linked above) and using their English-language route search to map out your route. The bus stop is located next to exit for the subway station, and is named Hakozaki (箱崎). According to Google Maps, the following routes are serviced at the stop: #1, #9, #29, #59, #61, #161
How you get to the shrine is up to you, but I can’t underscore how convenient it is getting there on the subway. The shrine is only a few stops away from the downtown core of the city, so no matter where you’re staying, finding a subway station shouldn’t be too difficult.
During our visit, like a lot of tourists, we stayed in the Tenjin (天神) area of town, so we just hopped on the subway, transferred at Nakasu-Kawabata (中洲川端駅) onto the blue line and enjoyed the ride for about five more stops before arriving at the shrine.
On the way back into town, we planned to visit the Hakata Railway Shrine (博多鐵路神社), have some ramen in the railway station, and then head over to the Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社). The walk from the shrine to the JR station was about ten minutes, but it was raining, so we weren’t walking very quickly. No matter what method of public transportation you choose to take, getting to the shrine is pretty straight-forward.
References
筥崎宮 (Official Website)
The Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine (Official Website English PDF)
Hakozaki Shrine | 筥崎宮 中文 | 筥崎宮 日文 (Wiki)
筥崎宮の御朱印 (御朱印のじかん)
Hachiman shrine | 八幡宮 (Wiki)
Empress Jingu | 神功皇后 中文 | 神功皇后 日文 (Wiki)
Tamayori-hime | 玉依姬 中文 | 玉依毘売 日文 (Wiki)
Tamayori-hime (Yokai)
Mongol invasions of Japan (Wiki)
Japanese Mythology: Empress Jingu (Proanon)
Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)
