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DAZAIFU |
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A mere 15km from Fukuoka, DAZAIFU only just squeaks free of the
urban sprawl, but enough to possess a definite country air. The town is
very much on Kyushu's tourist map, especially in late February and March
when cherry blossoms signal both the start of spring and the onset of
the exam season. Anxious students descend on Tenman-gu , Japan's
foremost shrine dedicated to the god of learning, but the nearby temples
and other historical relics remain surprisingly peaceful. Everything is
within easy walking distance of the station, making it possible to cover
the main sights in a day. A popular stop en route to or from Dazaifu is
Futsukaichi Onsen , around 3km further south, where you can take a dip
in its healing waters.
Dazaifu rose to prominence in the late seventh century, when the emperor
established a regional seat of government and military headquarters (known
as the Dazaifu) here, responsible for defence, trade, and diplomatic
ties particularly with China and Korea. For more than five hundred years
successive governor generals ruled Kyushu from Dazaifu, protected by a
series of ditches, embankments and hill-top fortresses, until political
circumstances changed in the twelfth century and the town gradually fell
into decline.
The Town
Dazaifu Station sits on the town's main crossroads, facing north, with
the tourist information right outside. From here it's a short walk east
along Kazami-dori to Dazaifu's main sight, Tenman-gu (daily 8.30am-5pm;
free), a tenth-century shrine dedicated to Tenjin, the guardian deity of
scholars . The shrine information office (daily 8.30am-5pm), on the
right as you enter the grounds, rents out radio-headsets (¥300)
providing English-language information about Tenman-gu, though the
quality of reception is not brilliant.
The approach to Tenman-gu lies over an allegorical stone bridge, Taiko-bashi
; its first, steep arch represents the past, the present is flat, while
the final, gentler hump indicates difficulties yet to come. While
negotiating the bridge, take a close look at the second of the two
little shrines on the right, which was constructed in 1458 - its
intricate, Chinese-style roof shelters some particularly fine carving.
Beyond, a two-storey gate leads into a courtyard dominated by the main
worship hall , built in 1591 but now resplendent in bright red and gold
lacquer under a freshly manicured thatch. A twisted plum tree stands
immediately to the right (east) of the hall. Known as the "flying plum
tree", it's said to be over 1000 years old and, according to legend,
originally grew in Michizane's Kyoto garden. On the eve of his departure
he wrote a farewell poem to the tree, but that night it upped roots and
"flew" ahead of him to Dazaifu. Behind the worship hall, a modern
building houses a small museum (daily 9am-4.30pm; ¥200) detailing the
life of Michizane through a series of tableaux.
To escape the crowds at Tenman-gu just walk south from the shrine
entrance for about 100m to the nearby temple of Komyozen-ji (daily
8am-5pm; free), founded in the mid-thirteenth century. This small,
serene temple is an appealing collection of simple, wooden buildings
whose tatami rooms contain Buddha figures or works of art. There's
usually no one around, but you're free to walk around - take off your
shoes and follow the polished wooden corridors round to the rear, where
there's a contemplative garden made up of a gravel sea swirling round
moss-covered headlands and jutting rocks, caught against a wooded
hillside.
Dazaifu's three other major sights lie about twenty minutes' walk west
of the station; to avoid the main road, follow signs to the right after
the post office. This route brings you in at the back of Kanzeon-ji -
watch out for the footpath off to the left just before a set of old
foundation stones lying in the grass. Founded in 746 AD by Emperor Tenji
in honour of his mother, Empress Samei, at one time Kanzeon-ji was the
largest temple in all Kyushu and even rated a mention in the great,
eleventh-century novel, The Tale of Genji . Only the bronze bell , the
oldest in Japan, remains from the original temple, while the present
buildings - unadorned and nicely faded - date from the seventeenth
century.
Kanzeon-ji's main hall holds a graceful standing Buddha, but you'll find
its most magnificent statues in the modern treasure house (daily
9am-5pm; ¥500) next door. The immediate impression is the sheer power of
the thirteen huge wooden figures, of which even the newest is at least
750 years old. The oldest is Tobatsu-Bishamonten, standing second in
line, which was sculpted from a single block of camphor wood in the
eighth century. An informative English brochure provides further
details, starting with the Jizo figure facing you as you come up the
stairs and working clockwise.
From the Treasure Hall, walk west in front of Kanzeon-ji towards the
two-tiered roof of Kaidan-in , built in the late eighth century for the
ordination of Buddhist priests. This is one of just three such
ordination halls in Japan - the other two being in Tochigi and Nara -
and again the statuary is of interest, in this case an eleven-headed
Kannon from the Heian period, dressed in fading gold.
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