Today I take a walk through Hakata Old Town.
Hakata Old Town is a historic area located in walking distance from the busy Hakata Station. The Old Town area contrasts the busy and modern area around Hakata Station by being very quiet and full of ancient temples and old buildings. It’s a great place to enjoy a peaceful stroll in the otherwise busy city of Fukuoka.
During this walk you can see these great shrines and temples:
Waka Hachimangu Shrine:
A beautiful shrine, known as a place to ward off evil. Especially around new years, this temple is packed with visitors who wish to pray for a safe new year, without evil. It’s a good place to start your tour of Hakata Old Town.
Hakata Sennen-no-Mon Gate:
This large gate was placed at the entrance to the historic temple area, also known as Hakata Old Town, in 2014. It signifies the entrance to a unique, historic area and is constructed in wood, observing the ancient building styles of the surrounding temples. The construction is modeled after an ancient Hakata gateway which has been described in old documents.
Jotenji Temple:
Joten-ji temple is a bit of an unusual temple. The temple is known across Japan as the birthplace of Japanese Udon and Soba Noodles. Enni Ben’en, a Buddhist monk who studied in China, is said to have introduced important milling techniques, along with the recipes for Udon and Soba, to Japan in 1241. He had Joten-ji temple constructed, with support from an important local merchant of Chinese origin (Xie Guo Ming). Today, the temple honors Enni Ben’en and his achievements.
Myorakuji Temple:
Myoraku-ji was originally built in 1316, and was located near the coast of Hakata Bay. It was an important temple for diplomatic matters in the days. Following a destruction during war, the temple was reconstructed at it’s current location.
The temple earned it’s honorific title “Stone Castle Mountain” as it supposedly had the appearance of a stone castle, when viewed from the sea.
Tochoji Temple:
Tocho-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple. It is one of the major attractions in the Hakata Old Town area, and can’t be missed! The most famous sights here are; The Great Wooden Buddha, a walk through heaven and hell and the most obvious, the enormous, red five-story pagoda. If you come during Sakura season then you will be welcomed by a huge cherry tree with thousands of delicate, pink flowers.
Zendoji Temple:
Zendo-ji temple, which is a temple of the Jodo School of Buddhism, dates back to the Muromachi period (1336–1573). The temple is home to some important cultural properties, such as ancient wooden statues of past masters, a boats anchor from 1358 and ancient paintings.
Shofukuji Temple:
Shofuku-ji Zen Temple is said to be the first zen temple to be established in Japan. It was constructed in 1195 by Zen master Yosai (Eisai). It’s interesting to see how the layout of the temple observes classic Zen concepts, with the Gate, Main Hall and Abbots Quarters placed on a straight line. The temple grounds cover a very large area.
Kaigenji Temple:
Kaigen-ji, originally founded in Chiyomachi in 1396, features two distinct temples within the same building: the Enma Temple and the Kannon Temple. The temples display beautiful (and scary) statues of the two bodhisattvas Enma-Daio and Kannon.
The Kannon temple is said to be a substitute for the Saigoku 33-Kannon Pilgrimage in the Kansai Area. In ancient times, traveling to Kansai would have been a very long journey. Therefore, it’s said that visiting the Kannon temple at Kaigenji once, gives the same benefits as visiting all 33 sites of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Naturally you’ll be able to count 33 Kannon temples lined up inside the Temple.
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▼Video Timeline▼
0:00 Waka Hachimangu Shrine
3:04 Hakata Sennen-no-Mon Gate
9:16 Jotenji Temple
18:56 Myorakuji Temple
19:40 Cherry Blossom and Temple
23:55 Tochoji Temple
24:18 Large and Popular Cherry Blossom Tree
25:25 Japanese Pagoda
31:57 Shofukuji Temple
45:55 Zendoji Temple
49:05 Kaigenji Temple
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Thank you for watching this Japan city walkthrough of Hakata Old Town. I hope you enjoyed seeing historical Japanese shrines and temples, as well as the cherry blossoms. If you have any location requests, please let me know.
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