Fukuoka｜Lotus blossoms on the tomb of the famous prostitute Mingyue The legend of Puxianshan Wanxing Temple

When visiting temples along the old streets of Fukuoka, you will often make unexpected and interesting new discoveries, such as Mangyo-ji Temple. This Puxianshan Wanxing Temple was built in 1529 and belongs to the Pure Land Buddhism Honganji sect. After entering the temple, there is an ancient tomb on the right hand side with several eye-catching vermilion characters "Tomb of the famous prostitute Mingyue" on it. The story begins with Mingyue. Her real name is Oaki and her hometown is Bitchu. When she was 15, she lost her father in the Honganji Rebellion, and her mother had already died of illness. Unfortunately, she was sold to a brothel and renamed Mingyue. Even after becoming a famous prostitute, Mingyue still had a firm belief. She asked the abbot to allow her to go to Wanxing Temple to pray for her deceased parents and fiancé. From then on, her faith became stronger and she often went to Wanxing Temple to worship. Mingyue unfortunately died of illness at the age of 22 and was buried in Wanxing Temple. It is said that on the 49th day after her death, white lotus grew on her tomb. People felt something was wrong, so they opened the tomb and found that her face remained the same, as if she was still alive. After 400 years, the temple still continues to commemorate her on May 15th every year. The wooden Wanxing Temple has a simple and elegant architecture without any fancy appearance. Every year during the Spring Festival, people will come to watch the bell ringing and pay New Year's greetings to find peace in their hearts. 📍Address: 4-50 Gion-cho, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 🚗5 minutes walk from Gion Subway Station #MarchGoodPlaces2025