Chikuzen Kokubun-ji, Provincial temple in Dazaifu, Japan

Chikuzen Kokubun-ji is a Shingon temple in Dazaifu whose main hall stands on the site of the original 8th-century kon-do. The temple grounds overlap the older monastery, where the pagoda, lecture hall and covered corridors have been marked out on the ground. The pagoda was seven storeys tall, and a one-tenth scale model is displayed outdoors at the Dazaifu City Culture Fureai Hall.

Emperor Shomu ordered the construction of provincial temples across Japan in 741, in response to a severe smallpox epidemic that had swept the country. Chikuzen Kokubun-ji was built as part of that effort and served as the religious center for the Chikuzen province.

The name Kokubun-ji means "provincial temple" and reflects the role these buildings once played as government-sponsored religious centers. Visitors today can walk among the stone foundations and read the on-site panels that explain how each section of the compound was originally used.

The site is an open field with no entrance fee, so visitors can walk around at any time of day. It is within easy reach of other historic spots in Dazaifu, making it a natural stop on a broader walk through the area.

The temple's octagonal stone lantern at the gate is a recent replica modeled on the lantern in front of the Great Buddha Hall at Todai-ji in Nara. A one-tenth scale model of the original seven-story pagoda stands outdoors at the Dazaifu City Culture and Exchange Hall.