Sumiyoshi Shrine, Shinto shrine in Hakata district, Fukuoka, Japan
Sumiyoshi Shrine is a Shinto place of worship in Hakata district, Fukuoka, built with vermillion pillars and white walls in the traditional Sumiyoshi-zukuri style. The main hall stands near the Naka River delta and opens onto a quiet courtyard lined with stone lanterns and raked pathways.
Kuroda Nagamasa ordered the construction in 1623, establishing it as the Ichinomiya, the highest-ranking place of worship in the province. The structure has remained a testament to early Edo-period craftsmanship and religious organization ever since.
The name refers to the guardian spirits of sailors, and this connection appears in the votive tablets and prayers throughout the grounds. Many visitors come to ask for blessings related to safe travel and smooth crossings.
The grounds lie about a ten-minute walk from JR Hakata Station and offer parking space for around one hundred vehicles. The area is open during daylight hours, and visitors can enter the main hall and courtyard without advance arrangements.
During the annual Nakagoshi festival in late July and early August, participants jump through large rings woven from sedge grass to symbolize purification and renewal. This ancient ceremony takes place on the grounds in front of the main hall and draws onlookers from across the city.
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