Shōfuku-ji is considered the oldest Zen temple in Japan, founded in 1195 by Eisai, who introduced Zen and tea to Japan; the nation's first tea plants are also said to have been planted here. Although its buildings are closed to the public, tree-lined stone paths make a nice ramble.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.7 MILES
Among the countless visitors to the grand, sprawling Tenman-gū – shrine and burial place of poet-scholar Tenman Tenjin – are students making offerings and…
9 MILES
Built into the tranquil eastern hills of Dazaifu and reached through more escalators than can be found at the average airport, this striking structure …
27.04 MILES
Nicknamed Maizuru-jō (Dancing Crane Castle), this elegantly proportioned white castle (built 1608, rebuilt 1966 and refurbished 2017) is picturesquely…
0.31 MILES
Spread over three machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), this folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era…
0.5 MILES
On the upper floors of the Hakata Riverain mall, this large museum houses the world-renowned Asia Gallery, and additional galleries for special…
27.76 MILES
Karatsu-yaki is defined by the work of 14 generations of the Nakazato family. Walk through the shop, which feels like a museum unto itself, and cross the…
27.36 MILES
This fabulously restored late–Meiji period villa of a local trader is built in a mix of Japanese and Western styles, with lantern-filled gardens, a…
2.29 MILES
Set within the expansive grounds of Ōhori-kōen, adjacent to the remains of Fukuoka's once-grand castle, this traditional (though constructed in 1984) 12…
Nearby Fukuoka attractions
0.15 MILES
Tōchō-ji houses the Fukuoka Daibutsu, Japan's largest seated wooden Buddha (10.8m high, 30 tonnes, completed in 1992) and some impressively carved Kannon …
2. Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan
0.31 MILES
Spread over three machiya (traditional Japanese townhouses), this folk museum re-creates a Hakata nagare (neighbourhood unit) from the late Meiji era…
3. Hakata Traditional Craft & Design Museum
0.34 MILES
This compact museum displays stellar examples of local crafts, Hakata-ori textiles, Hakata ningyō (Hakata dolls), papier-mâché Daruma and lion figures,…
4. Hakata Local History Museum
0.37 MILES
On the grounds of the Kushida-jinja shrine, this old-school museum has many displays about the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri, as well as swords, ancient…
0.37 MILES
The intimate Kushida-jinja, municipal Shintō shrine of Hakata, traces its history to AD 757 and sponsors the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Matsuri, in which…
0.5 MILES
On the upper floors of the Hakata Riverain mall, this large museum houses the world-renowned Asia Gallery, and additional galleries for special…
0.7 MILES
Built in 1910, this historic French Renaissance–style building, a nationally registered important cultural property, can be found just across the river…
0.73 MILES
This small but pretty garden and teahouse was built by a Meiji-era merchant in 1906 and offers a couple of paths, a rushing waterfall and tea ceremony. In…