Fukuoka｜The farewell place for Tang and Sui Dynasty envoys to the Tang Dynasty. The ingenious design of the Koun Shrine makes the sound of cranes chirping when you throw a coin

Climb up 52 steps to reach the Koun Shrine, where the famous Warring States general Kuroda Kanbei and his son, Kuroda Nagamasa, the first lord of Fukuoka Domain, are enshrined. Rather than talking about history, I would like to first talk about some interesting things about this shrine. The hand-water pavilion here is made of buffalo helmets. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Kuroda's army advanced to Gifu as a vanguard, but encountered heavy rain for several days. Kuroda Nagamasa slipped and almost fell into the river. Fortunately, the buffalo helmet was hooked by a branch. Since then, the buffalo helmet has been regarded as a symbol of luck, and this hand-water pavilion was made and donated by local believers. In addition, the money box for worshipping the temple has a small mechanism. As long as you put money in it, it will make the sound of a crane, which complements the picture of two cranes above the head. Because of the wisdom and courage of the Kuroda father and son, the goshuin here has a strong Warring States style, and of course there is also a spring limited edition. Even the amulet is a victory amulet, praying for victory. There is also a statue of Morato Taibei in the garden. He was one of the 25 samurai of the Kuroda family and became famous for holding the Nihonka, one of the three spears. Behind him is an eyedrop tree. It is said that the Kuroda family made their fortune by selling eyedrops and laid the foundation for their later rule of the domain. This place is 50 meters high and is located on Mount Aratsu, north of Fukuoka Castle. It is also recorded in the Manyoshu that this was the place where envoys to the Tang Dynasty during the Tang and Sui dynasties saw off their envoys, who would then take a boat out to sea. 📍Address: 〒810-0061 Fukuoka Prefecture Fukuoka City Chuo District Nishi Park 13-1 🚗15 minutes walk from Ohori Park Station, or take the Nishitetsu bus to Nishi Park and walk for five minutes. #MarchGoodPlaces2025