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[[Image:Dazaifu-tenmangu.jpg|right|thumb|320px|The ''honden'' (main worship hall) at Dazaifu Tenmangû.]]
*''Established: [[905]]''
*''Japanese'': 太宰府天満宮 ''(Dazaifu Tenmanguu)''

Dazaifu Tenmangû is a large [[Shinto shrine]] in [[Dazaifu (city)|Dazaifu]], a short distance outside of the [[Kyushu]] city of [[Fukuoka (city)|Fukuoka]]. It is one of the top three [[Tenjin]] shrines in the country, along with [[Kitano Tenmangu|Kitano Tenmangû]] in [[Kyoto]] and either [[Egara Tenjin Shrine]] in [[Kamakura]] or [[Umeda Tenmangu|Umeda Tenmangû]] in [[Osaka]].<ref>There seems some disagreement or discrepancy as to which is the third, after Dazaifu and Kitano.</ref> The shrine also serves as the mausoleum of [[Sugawara no Michizane]], the courtier who was posthumously deified as Tenjin, ''[[kami]]'' of scholarship.

==History==
Michizane died in [[903]] at the South Hall of the [[Dazaifu]] government complex (today the site of the Hinoki Shrine), and his attendant [[Umasaka no Yasuyuki]]<!--味酒安行--> buried his remains at this site. Two years later, a shrine was erected at the site of the grave. A temple for his grave, called Anraku-ji, was built very shortly afterwards; its first head was [[Sugawara no Hiratada]], Michizane's grandson. His direct descendants continued to head the shrine generation after generation. In [[1868]], the temple was merged into the shrine.

==Layout==
The shop-lined pedestrianized ''sandô'' (main road leading to the shrine) includes several large stone [[torii]]. After a sharp left-turn, one passes through another stone torii, and then over a bridge designed in three sections, said to represent the past, present and future. The bridge crosses over a pond said to be in the shape of the [[kanji]] ''kokoro'' (心, "heart").

The next stone torii one encounters is said to be the oldest in Kyushu. It is believed to have been a gift from [[Nitta Oinosuke|Nitta Ôinosuke]]<!--新田大炊介-->, lord of [[Arisaka castle]], during the [[Nanbokucho|Nanbokuchô period]] ([[1336]]-[[1392]]).

A two-story ''rômon'' (shrine gate) three bays wide leads into the main plaza before the main worship hall (''honden''). Within this plaza are several [[ume|plum trees]], one of which is said to have been Michizane's favorite tree, which uprooted itself and flew to Dazaifu from Kyoto to be with him.

Numerous tiny sub-shrines can be found along a path outside of this central plaza. A number of small cafés or restaurants are located within the shrine's gardens, along with a small museum of the life of Sugawara no Michizane.

A path leads up away from the shrine, to an [[Inari]] shrine up in the mountains. The [[Kyushu National Museum]] and a small amusement park are also quite nearby.

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==References==
*Plaques on-site.
*"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%A4%AA%E5%AE%B0%E5%BA%9C%E5%A4%A9%E6%BA%80%E5%AE%AE Dazaifu Tenmangû]." ''Sekai daihyakka jiten'' 世界大百科事典. Hitachi Solutions, 2012.
<references/>

[[Category:Heian Period]]
[[Category:Shrines]]
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