Sofukuji

Hakata Area | History & Culture Sofukuji

This is the temple of Rinzai School Daitokuji Sect Buddhism and also referred to by the name of Ogakusan. The priest, Tan’e constructed the building in Ogaku, Dazaifu in 1240. The priest En’ni, who came back from China, was invited here the next year to make an inauguration speech for the building. In 1272, the priest Daio Kokushi settled here and founded a temple. Then it turned out many famous priests, was moved to the current location in 1600 by Kuroda Nagamasa, the first lord of the Fukuoka Domain, and was cherished by the Kuroda Family as a family temple. On the temple site is also a tomb of Shimai Soshitsu, the famous merchant of the Edo Period.

Sanmon Gate
Sanmon Gate was originally the main gate of the old Fukuoka Castle and was later moved here. It features a gabled two-story structure, tile roofing and the side door in the left side, which is the relic of its previous life as a part of the castle. The gate is designated as an important cultural property of the prefecture.

Karamon Gate
It is said that this gate used to be a part of the old Najima Castle. The design of the gate suggests that it didn’t remain in the original state as the castle was built in the 16th century but was renovated in the Edo Period. It is one of the oldest gates existing within the city and is designated as a prefecture’s important cultural property.

Sofukuji
Sofukuji