Fukuoka｜The Crane Spring and the Millennium Ginkgo Tree, the guardian shrine of Hakata from the Nara period to the present day

Fukuoka, the most prosperous city in Kyushu, was actually originally called Hakata. This port city had frequent commercial exchanges with various parts of the Asian continent in the 7th and 8th centuries. Among them, Kushida Shrine plays a vital role in the development history of Hakata. According to legend, it originated in the Nara period and is the patron saint of the Hakata area. The deities worshipped are Ohata no Numi-no-Mikoto of Kushida Shrine, Amaterasu no Omikami of Daijingu Shrine, and Susanoo no Mikoto of Gion Shrine. I was lucky to see the early blooming cherry blossoms and the final blooming peach blossoms during my visit today. The shrine looked even more gorgeous when it was paired with the shrine. According to legend, in 1500, Toyotomi Hideyoshi donated and built the current shrine when he was revitalizing Hakata. The deity was invited from the Kushida Shrine in Matsuzaka, Ise, and has developed into a domineering name "Hakata Sojourn". There is also a Shimenkken Inari Shrine near the Kushida Shrine, which is guarded by layers of torii gates. Step into the torii gates and feel the power of the realm of gods. There is also a general shrine on the left, where gods from multiple shrines can be worshipped. When talking about Kushida Shrine, we have to mention the Gion Yamakasa in Hakata. The Yamakasa Festival in July every year announces the arrival of summer. The festival has been passed down for more than 700 years. The most eye-catching thing is the more than ten-meter-high, gorgeously decorated Yamakasa. The sacred spring Tsurumizu in front of the shrine is a well-known energy spot. Drinking the water after worshiping is said to prolong one's life. Another long-lived tree is the ginkgo tree next to the building gate, which is said to have been guarding the residents of Hakata for a thousand years. 📍Address: 〒812-0026 1-41 Kamikawabata-cho, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 🚗One minute walk from Kushida-jinja Station on the Nanakuma Line, or a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Gion Station #MarchGoodPlaces2025