Dazaifu Tenmangū~History & Deities

History

The establishment of Dazaifu Tenmangū is in 919, in the Heian period. It originates from Anrakuji Tenmangū, that was built in the same place.

The U-daijin Sugawara no Michizane, the enshrined deity of Dazaifu Tenmangū, was relegated to Dazaifu as a result of Sa-daijin Fujiwara no Tokihira's slander, and died in 903. The funeral oxcart stopped in front of Anraku Temple, and it was thought that Michizane's spirit stopped the oxcart, so he was buried here. In 905, a mausoleum was built.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, after Fujiwara no Tokihira died in 909, those who took part in the plot of Michizane's exile died one after another. People started to think this was caused by Michizane's angry spirits and called "Michizane's curse". In 919, under the imperial orders of Emperor Daigo, Tokihira's brother Fujiwara no Nakahira went to Dazaifu and built a fine shrine building over Michizane's grave, to calm down his spirits. This shrine is the origin of Dazaifu Tenmangū.

However, the "curse" continued to storm Kyoto. In 923, the flustered imperial coart restored Michizane's coart rank to U-daijin and promoted him to the court rank of Senior second grade as a posthumous honor, and changed the era name to Enchō. But in the ultimate, lightning struck the "Seiryō-den" in the imperial palace, where a meeting was held with the presence of Emperor Daigo. After witnessing the horrible sight, Emperor Daigo became passed out 3 months later.

Since then, every time a disastor occured, feared that it is because of the "curse". In 947, a shrine was built in Kitano, in Kyoto, to calm down the "curse", and gave the name "Kitano-tenmangū-tenjin". Around then, the shrine in Dazaifu became to be called "Anrakuji Tenmangū". The name "Gū (宮)" is a name only that can only be used by shrines dedicated for Emperors and members of the Imperial family, and this shows how terrified the Imperial coart was. Under Emperor Ichijō's reign, Michizane was promoted to a higher rank than when he was alive, first Sa-daijin, and then Dajō-daijin. In 1004, Emperor Ichijō visited Kitano Tenmangū in person, and sent an Imperial envoy to Dazaifu.

At the end of the Heian period, the fear for the "curse" eventually faded out, and the worship of Michizane spreaded out in different ways. Since Michizane was an eminent scholar, he became revered as a god of learning.

In the Sengoku period, Anrakuji Tenmangū was repeatedly damaged in war, but was rebuilt by Kobayakawa Takakage, who became the feudal lord of Chikuzen Province, and in 1591, the Honden that exists now was built. In the Edo period, the shrine continued to be restored by the Kuroda clan, the head of Fukuoka Domain, and became a flourishing shrine. It is said Kuroda Yoshitaka, known as "Kuroda Kanbē", showed profound reverence for Michizane as a god of Renga, a type of poetry.

In the Meiji era, as the government became to have control over shrines, shrines that are not dedicated for Emperors and members of the Imperial family could no longer use the name "Gū", so the shrine was renamed "Dazaifu jinja". And as a result of separation of Shinto from Buddhism, Anraku Temple, that existed together with the Tenmangū, was abolished.

After the Pacific War, as the State control of shrines finished, the shrine was renamed Dazaifu Tenmangū in 1947 and continues up to today.

Enshrined deities

The enshrined deity of Dazaifu Tenmangū is Sugawara no Michizane, also known as the "Tenjin".

Sugawara no Michizane was a courtier in the Heian period. As a distinguished scholar, and also a politician, he recieved a high evaluation from Emperor Uda and was promoted to U-daijin, Junior Minister of State. However, he was falsely accused, and relegated to a minor post in Dazaifu.

Confined without enough to eat or to wear, Michizane died with disappointment 2 years later. He was buried at Anrakuji Temple, where Dazaifu Tenmangū is now.

Divine favor

Since Sugawara no Michizane was a distinguished scholar, he is well known as a god of god of learning.

He was also good at composing waka, he is also believed to be a god of waka, and deriving from this, a god of literary and performing arts. In addition, he is believed to have various divine virtues such as good harvest, sincerity and clearing false charge.

Branch shrines

Keidaisha

There are 7 sesshas and masshas near the approach to the main shrine, Shinji-ike and the iris pond.

Konnō shrine (今王社)

Deity: Unknown

A massha for those who cannot go to the honden.

Shika shrine (志賀社)

Deities: Sokotsuwatatsumi-no-kami, Nakatsuwatatsumi-no-kami and Uwatsuwatatsumi-no-kami

Ukemochi shrine (保食社)

Deity: Ukemochi-no-kami

Kaede shrine (楓社)

Deity: Nobukiko-no-mikoto

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's wife, Shimada no Nobukiko

Hitomaru shrine (人丸社)

Deity: Kakinomoto no Hitomaro

Mizu shrine (水神社)

Deity: Unknown

Josui shrine (如水社)

Deity: Kuroda Yoshitaka

There are 6 sesshas behind the Honden.

Fukube shrine (福部社)

Deity: Shimada no Tadaomi

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's master of poetry.

Oimatsu shrine (老松社)

Deities: Sugawara no Koreyoshi and Ban-shi

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's parents.

Miko shrine (御子社)

Deities: Sugawara no Takami, Sugawara no Kageyuki, Sugawara no Kaneshige, Sugawara no Atsushige

4 sesshas for Sugawara no Michizane's children

There are 13 sesshas and masshas lining the hill next to the Honden.

Nakashima shrine (中島神社)

Deity: Tajimamori-no-kami

Kakujuni shrine (靏寿尼社)

Deity: Kakujuni

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's aunt.

Nominosukune shrine (野見宿禰社)

Deity: Nominosukune

A sessha for the Sugawara family's ancestral god.

Son'i shrine (尊意社)

Deity: Hosshōbō Son'i

Kōdaijingū (皇大神宮)

Deity: Amaterasu-ōmikami

Amenohohi-no-mikoto shrine (天穂日命社)

Deity: Amenohohi-no-mikoto

A sessha for the Sugawara family's ancestral god.

Kotohira shrine (金刀比羅社)

Deity: Ōmononushi-no-kami

Mitama shrine (御霊社)

Deities: Ancestral spirits of Kanke

A sessha for the Ancestral spirits of Sugawara family.

Saishō-Izumi shrine (宰相和泉社)

Deities: Sugawara no Sukemasa and Sugawara no Sadayoshi

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's descendants.

Tayū shrine (大夫社)

Deity: Watakuiharuhiko-tayū

A sessha for Sugawara no Michizane's follower.

Susanō shrine (素佐雄社)

Deity: Susanō-no-mikoto

Kamado shrine (竈門社)

Deity: Tamayorihime-no-mikoto

Kōra shrine (高良社)

Deity: Nominosukune-no-mikoto

Kushida shrine (櫛田社)

Deity: Ōwakugo-no-kami

There is a massha at the far most end of the shrine.

Tenkai Inari shrine (天開稲荷社)

Deity: Ukanomitama-no-kami

Keigaisha

Some other branch shrines are outside the shrine.

Tenpaisan shrine (天拝山社)

Diety: Sugawara-no-ōkami

Location: 706 Musashi, Chikushino city

Tarō-sakon shrine (太郎左近社)

Diety: Unknown

Location: 4-7 Ishizaka, Dazaifu city

Angyō shrine (安行社)

Diety: Umasake no Yasuyuki

Location: 4-9-16 Saifu, Dazaifu city

Enoki shrine (榎社)

Diety: Jōmyōni

Location: 6-18-1 Suzaku, Dazaifu city

Events

These are some annual events.

Saitan-sai

January 1st

Usogae, Onisube

January 7th

Setsubun-yakuyoke-kigan-taisai

February 3rd

Kyokusui-no-utage

The first Sunday of March

Ōharae-shiki

June 30th

Summer Tenjin Festival

July 24th and 25th

Jinkō-shiki-taisai (Annual festival)

September 20th to 25th

Shūshi-sai

Around October (Sep.10th on the lunar calendar)

Special Prayer for Success in Examinations

October 18th

Ōharae-shiki and Joya-sai

December 31st