8 spots โ sorted by traveller rating
Japan's most important shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning, Dazaifu Tenmangu draws students nationwide to pray for exam success. The ornate main hall dates to 1591, and the 6,000 plum trees burst into fragrant bloom every February, creating a spectacular pink canopy.
Miyajidake Shrine on a hillside above Fukutsu city is famous for its 'light road' (hikari no michi) โ twice a year at sunset the setting sun aligns perfectly with the shrine's stone staircase and the sea road below, creating a glowing golden corridor. The shrine's enormous shimenawa rope weighs three tonnes.
Nanzoin's reclining bronze Shakyamuni Buddha is 41 m long and 11 m tall โ the world's largest bronze statue โ lying serenely in a green valley near Sasaguri. The sprawling temple complex also houses smaller statues, koi ponds, and a prayer hall where visitors rub the Buddha's feet for luck.
At the tip of Kyushu, the former international trade port of Moji retains its Meiji-Taisho era Western-style buildings โ customs house, railway station, and grand hotels โ in an atmospheric retro district. The Kanmon Strait separating Kyushu from Honshu can be crossed via a 780-m underwater pedestrian tunnel.
The guardian shrine of Hakata and focal point of the Gion Yamakasa festival, Kushida Shrine preserves one of the giant yamakasa floats year-round in its treasure hall. The grounds include ancient camphor trees over a thousand years old and an ema collection representing Hakata's merchant history.
At 234 m Japan's tallest seaside tower, Fukuoka Tower offers sweeping views from Hakata Bay to the mountains of Kyushu. The mirrored exterior tiles reflect the sea and sky, and the observation floor at 123 m is particularly magical at sunset and during seasonal illuminations.
Founded in 806 by Kobo Daishi, Tochoji houses Fukuoka's most unusual attraction โ a 10-m wooden seated Buddha, the largest in Japan, and beneath it a pitch-black 'hell' maze where visitors shuffle through darkness clinging to a rope, symbolising the journey through the underworld to enlightenment.
Housed in a restored Meiji-era machiya townhouse near Kushida Shrine, this museum illuminates Hakata's merchant and craft traditions. Highlights include demonstrations of Hakata-ori silk weaving (used in traditional obi sashes), interactive displays on the Yamakasa festival, and a historically furnished townhouse interior.
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